Go the Distance With These Standing Desk Accessories

Contrary to popular belief, an adjustable standing desk with a treadmill is not the be-all, end-all of ergonomic office accessories. Now, I know what you're thinking -- a standing desk or treadmill desk is a big investment! Of course, this is completely correct; for many people it'll be the one of the biggest investments in their own health they're likely to ever make. However, it's important to realize that even though your new treadmill desk keeps the blood flow going during the day instead of letting you fall into a zero-caffeine coma after lunch, there are quite a few more improvements you can make to your new standing or walking workstation that will improve your productivity and comfort.

One of my biggest recommendations for upgrading your ergonomic desk -- doubly so if you're using a treadmill -- is an ergonomic monitor arm with fingertip adjustment, such as the Humanscale M8 or Innovative 7500 Wing Dual LCD Arm. Having recently switched over to a treadmill desk, I've noticed my Innovative 7500 Wing arm makes a huge difference in viewing comfort while walking on the treadmill. It gives me the extra height range necessary for eye-height viewing, as the treadmill puts my eye level an extra three inches or so above my normal standing eye level.

Of course, you could hypothetically raise your new standing desk high enough to put your monitors right where you need them, and many people do. There's a problem with this technique, however. By raising your monitors on your desks to comfortably view while standing or walking, your keyboard and mouse will then likely be put into an uncomfortable position. This makes it important to not only have a fingertip-adjustable monitor arm, but an ergonomic keyboard tray too. I prefer the Humanscale 900 keyboard trays equipped with a 6G arm. These trays allow for the keyboard and mouse to be lowered to elbow height, independently of your desktop, and also help to prevent a hunched posture while typing in a seated position.

These two accessories form the cornerstone of a complete ergonomic workstation, and while I recommend them for any type of desk, they become especially useful at a sit-stand workstation. If you're like me and trying to live healthier by working at a sit-stand desk, don't settle for "good enough" -- go the extra mile and kit out your new treadmill desk with a monitor arm and keyboard tray!

Learn more about ergonomic accessories for standing desks at TheHumanSolution.com.