Most of the time when people discuss the benefits of standing desks or sit-stand desks, they talk about them in the context of a professional office environment. But people who spend time at their desk for recreational purposes can also benefit from switching to a standing desk.
Avid PC gamers may spend hours a day at their desk, competing against virtual foes, leveling up, and completing quests. They are just as vulnerable to the ill-effects of sitting for long periods of time as office workers are – and they stand to benefit just as greatly from using standing desks for gaming.
Maybe the idea of using a standing desk for your PC gaming sounds silly at first, but if you start looking into the many benefits of using a sit-stand desk for gaming, you’ll see that a standing desk will make a big improvement to your gaming setup.
Here are some of the reasons why standing desks for gaming are so beneficial:
Enhanced focus and engagement in the game.
When you’ve been sitting for long periods of time, you start to experience restlessness, discomfort, and muscle tension. These feelings can be a huge distraction from your gaming. You might try fidgeting to get more comfortable, but it’s hard to do without getting up, which would require pausing the game.
A standing desk allows you to stand, move, and stretch your legs without missing a beat in the game. Gaming from a standing position also allows you to be more engaged and reactive in the game because your body can mimic the movements of your character. Finally, standing has also been linked to improved focus and productivity because blood can more freely flow to your brain. The result is that using standing desks for gaming can create a more immersive gaming experience and will actually help you play better.
Improve your own health while you build your character’s XP.
While you’re gaming, your focus is on building your character’s XP and leveling up. Meanwhile, you might be neglecting your own health and well-being. Sitting for extended periods of time has both short- and long-term negative effects on your health, such as muscle strain, weight gain, brain fog, back and neck pain, and poor circulation, among others.
Standing up for at least 25% of your day can greatly reduce your risk for chronic disease and metabolic syndrome, and can help alleviate back and neck pain caused by prolonged sitting. Switching to a standing desk for gaming lets you maintain your focus on your character’s XP while effortlessly tending to your own well-being.
Naturally limit your playing time.
When you’re gaming, hours can pass in what feels like minutes. Gaming can be such an immersive experience that it’s easy for time to get away from you. Losing track of time isn’t a good feeling, especially when you had other things you meant to accomplish. Standing while you’re playing makes you more aware of the time passing, so that you’re never caught with that feeling of, “Crap, I’ve been playing how long?!”
When you’re more aware of the time passing, you make better decisions about how to spend your time, even within the game. Instead of wasting time on thankless fetch quests or just wandering around within the gaming world, you’ll limit your playing time to only the best gaming experiences.
Customize your gaming setup.
Sit-stand desks are an excellent choice for gaming because of how adjustable they are. Legs tired from standing for too long? Lower your desk to a seated position. Feeling antsy and want to stretch your legs? Move it back to standing position. Standing desks also come with many accessories and options for customization – such as anti-fatigue mats and laptop mounts – so you can create the perfect setup to fit your gaming style.
FlexiSpot’s height adjustable desks are great computer desks for gamers, with a wide, spacious surface that will comfortably fit two or even three monitors. They don’t come with fixed keyboard trays like many stand-up desk models that can get in the way of how you like to organize your gaming station. Standing desk converters are a good option if you just want to add sit-stand capability to your current gaming setup.