How To Adjust The Desk Height To Your Body (Sitting & Standing)

It's nice to have a height adjustable sit stand desk... but you still need to adjust it properly!

In this video, I will explain simple criteria to adjust the desk height, both for sitting and for standing.

We will look at your wrist, your carpal tunnel and your elbow extensor muscles (those which cause tennis elbow / lateral epicondylitis).

Pain in the back, shoulder, arms or any other musculoskeletal pain should not govern your life.

A lot of the pain you feel is caused or aggravated by wrong posture, poor ergonomics and a lack of specific exercises for your muscles and joints. Giving you the tools to resolve these issues is the reason why I created this self care channel.

If you need more, check out these two innovative offers that will truly empower you in the subtle art of posture correction:

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Medical Disclaimer
All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Full disclaimer:

[simonfauteux]

I’m convinced to get a sit stand desk, so much more adjustable and now you just showed me how to set it at the correct height !

[GianMarcoTatangeli-onho]

Hi Oliver! You re the best! I would like to have like an example because I m tall like you but I never cannot find right position with consequent pain everyday. I would like to know my friends which is your dimension about height desk, distance and height monitor in cm.
I would like to know also the distance between your chair and your desk.

I hope you will read this comment and you will help me with a reply.


Thank you in advice from your Italian friend!

[rtsalsa]

Hey Oliver, great content!
What if I adjusted my standing chair according to your reccomendation, but I'm still expereincing shoulder pain in the right hand (That is using the mouse, and btw I have the same mouse as you?)

[Tephnos]

One thing I am curious of is typically you are told to adjust the desk height for an upright seated resting elbow position. What if you recline a lot? Wouldn't that lower your elbows and raise your arms too high?

[Azor]

And how do I know the right chair height?, so I can adjust my desk to it. Because I feel my desk is in the right position but I dont know if I am sitting to high or too low.

[timfrensch]

What about if you use a tall keyboard like a mechanical keyboard? Does that impact the adjustment? Or do you advice against using tall keyboards?

[sectormentor]

Great stuff! Do you recommend a foot stool/foot rest, please? Thank you

[siowzhekai]

Hi, really thank you for your great informative video. I have one question, is this method applicable when i am writing on the table?

[ricfwolff]

Thanks, Olivier!
On question: When I'm in the position you showed, my elbows are lower than the fixed arm rests on my chair.
Should I detach the arm rest so I don't keep using it?
Is there a problem in widening my elbows to reach the arm rest? I noticed my shoulders go up a tiny bit when I do that.
Thanks!

[adamthewoodworker]

Hi Oliver, do you have any experience/recommendations for a good anti fatigue mat to use with my standing desk? Thanks!

[devivinod]

Can you share the link of this adjustable desk ...I am seeing such one for first time

[ginny]

I would like to ask. I have figured out my problems with neck and right eye are probably from repeated movement /keybord to mouse - keybord to mouse/ and that have made a giant long-lasting spasm in my traps, pectoralis, SCM ...but I don´t know what to do, I am a righ-handed so the best solution would be to do everything with my left hand. But I do not know which part of muscles in my hand I should release or how to change my habit..there is a big tension. I released my occipital muscles, traps, SCM, levator, pectoralis but the tension is still producing doing this repeated action. Thank You

[Zack-wkbx]

my desk height lowest point is 29iches is that low enough for me? im 6 ft tall

[BlazeFireXERO]

Quick question, can you use this to adjust the chair height to a fixed desk also?

[wnged]

so what do you do when the chair cant reach that height and cant get a new desk or chair

[AS-dlvp]

What about setting the desk, having high profile mechanical keyboard ( keycaps 3 cm above desk level) while using more static task ? Like gaming, having fingers on WASD keys, but wrist is on a wristrest/desk ? (For reference i am about your height and 105 cm would be about right typing with flat keyboard, like the one in video)
What are effects of badly adjusted lumbar support ? I have been playing video games in off time without any kind of pains for long time, but now i have issues. Even with ergonomic chair i have tension in lower back after over 30 mins of sitting and i dont know if its normal, or i sitl have wrong setup. Yes i am aware that sitting for long periods of time is bad, just trying to figure out proper posture.

[Anusia]

My problem is I'm not a great typer and I often look down at the keyboard. So when my desk is at elbow level I am looking down more. Not sure how to deal with this.

[illusry]

Do you think that armrests are a good idea if you have prolonged periods of gaming where youre in an active position for like 40 minutes at a time? I took off my Aeron armrests because they aren't parallel to the floor, they do this thing where they rise from back to front and it bothers me. But Im wondering if I should change to a chair that has better armrests