Sitting for hours on end behind a desk? You could be putting yourself at risk of fatal heart problems. A recent story by NPR included comments from a researcher at South Carolina University who found that men who sit more than 23 hours a week are 64 percent more likely to die from heart problems than are their counterparts who only sit for 11 hours or less a week. That's stunning news.
The Good News
Want to protect yourself from potentially terminal heart problems? Why not build your own standing desk? A standing desk is exactly what it sounds like, a workspace at which you stand instead of sit. If you use a standing desk as your main desk, you will be eliminating much of those idle hours of sitting. And the best news? It is possible to make your own standing desk with little effort and few dollars. The editors at Web site Lifehacker provided an uncomplicated recipe for building a simple, effective standing desk. Here's the quick version of it.
The Easy Way
If you just want a simple desk, Lifehacker suggests creating a standing desk that uses Ikea's Utby legs. Though this desk will be smaller, you will be able to fit your laptop, monitor and keyboard easily enough on top of it. You ought to have space, too, for a lamp and storage. To build this desk, buy a Vika Amon Top, Utby under frame, Ekby Jarpen shelf and one set of Capita legs. You'll find all of these parts at Ikea for the total of around $140. Best of all? According to the Lifehacker story, you can assemble this desk using just a screwdriver.
A Bit More Complicated
You may also use Ikea parts to produce slightly more complicated wide standing desk, according to Lifehacker. Again, you can find the parts you require at your nearest Ikea: five Vika Byske legs, two packs of Capita brackets, one Lack shelf and one Vika Amon tabletop. These things should set you back about $250. This desk will give you more space, for your tech and your supplies. However it will likely be a bit more difficult to build. You will need a power drill. But try not to let that scare you. Lifehacker still ranks this desk as a "medium" with regards to difficulty.</p