Contemplating the period of time that hundreds of thousands of us spend at our desks every day, it’s stunning how little thought most of us put into our posture, or what this sedentary way of life is doing for our productiveness potential, to not point out our total well being. Publish-pandemic, extra of us are working remotelßy or in some type of hybrid limbo between the workplace and our sofa, however what is that this doing for us bodily? Colin Dowdle got down to remedy a myriad issues when it comes to how many people work, and he discovered the Lillipad Standing Desk an ergonomic and space-saving gear that may punch your ticket to success.
Colin Dowdle wasn’t an engineer by commerce, he tells M&F, however his love of snowboarding bought him began as an inventor when he put his mechanical thoughts to constructing snowmaking machines and ice rinks. What began out as one thing enjoyable for his yard quickly was a fully-fledged enterprise. In his largest 12 months, he, his father Jim, and their younger colleagues constructed 30 rinks.
With a significant within the entrepreneurship program at Marquette College, Dowdle has been capable of mix his love of drawback fixing with assembly market wants. Maybe his largest Eureka second got here in 2019. Because the coronavirus pandemic took maintain and lockdowns ensued, Dowdle discovered himself sharing working area with two roommates within the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago and shortly discovered that working from residence with a laptop computer proved to be crowded and hardly comfy. The changemaker put in himself in his dad and mom storage and after a ton of trial and error, launched what his web site calls “the world’s finest ergonomic workstation that doesn’t require a everlasting location.”
What are Ergonomics and Why Do They Matter?
‘Ergonomics is the research of aligning the wants of a job with the flexibility of the employee and work surroundings to offer probably the most environment friendly workspace doable whereas concurrently decreasing the danger of damage,’ explains one research printed within the Nationwide Library of Drugs. Put merely, while you spend a big period of time in a single place, it’s vital to guarantee that your physique is comfy and supported, permitting you do preserve correct posture. Typically, when individuals are working for lengthy durations, they slouch or lean ahead an excessive amount of, placing strain on the backbone or neck. Unhealthy ergonomics can even trigger shoulder and wrist issues amongst different illnesses. Luckily, making slight changes to how or the place you place your self throughout work can enhance your well being and wellbeing. Enter Dowdle’s Lillipad Standing Desk.
“You’ll by no means see a couple of frog on one lily pad,” explains the inventor. “And, they’ll at all times be speaking remotely to different frogs on lily pads. They’re very sturdy. Whenever you have a look at them on high of water it doesn’t look too sturdy however frogs can bounce from one lily pad to a different with out a drawback. After which, what folks don’t actually know is that the lily pads in nature will at all times develop and retract based mostly on the water stage. So, the stem goes up and down, similar to an adjustable desk. We discovered it fairly relevant.”
Dowdle’s Lillipad Standing Desk is available in a 42-inch or 48-inch mannequin to go well with both those that are underneath 5’10” or those that are taller. Better of all, there’s no meeting required they usually fold away flat in order that when work is over, the desk may be hidden away. “So, working from residence just isn’t going away,” says Dowdle. “It’s going to be right here. For 2 or three days every week working from residence, that’s 40 to 60% of your complete workweek out of the workplace. In the event you don’t have ergonomic gear at residence, you might be setting your self up for a catastrophe.” Certainly, HR Grapevine stories that in the USA, round 149 million workdays are misplaced every year as a result of decrease again ache, costing the financial system $98 billion.
Why the Lillipad Standing Desk is Ergonomically Sound
Apart from cool options like USB retailers and surge safety, and the flexibility to buy add-ons reminiscent of monitor arms, the Lillipad can maintain a great deal of as much as 350 kilos. Customers are additionally sharing their satisfaction. “Superior desk,” says Michael B. in a assessment on the corporate’s official web site. “Serving to my posture and simply compacts and rolls underneath the mattress in our visitor room.”. The Lillipad is certainly successful with taller folks who usually discover it troublesome to seek out adjustable standing desks that rise to their wants. “Up to now so good!,” says Christine T. “I’ve had the Lillipad desk for nearly two months and it has labored nice. It’s compact and straightforward to retailer. I’m 6’5”, and the desk is tall sufficient to work standing up.”
In fact, this optimistic buyer suggestions is all music to the ears of Dowdle. “I can’t inform you what number of tales that I’ve heard, of buddies that I’ve, who had been working from residence from a eating room desk, pitching lengthy hours, they usually was once marathoners and now they’re not anymore. Now they’re chiropractor sufferers,” explains the desk disruptor. “And it’s simply one thing that as a workforce and as a society we’ve bought to acknowledge… that there’s an enormous well being danger right here.”
Dowdle additionally factors out that similar to with sitting, when standing, your elbows ought to be at a 90-degree angle when typing. By providing the 2 variations of the desk, he is ready to meet that want for our various heights. Due to its compatibility with the plenty, the Lillipad has discovered its method into companies everywhere in the nation, not simply our homes and flats.
And, Dowdle has additionally discovered that customers are discovering some surprising makes use of for the Lillipad, explaining that for a lot of who work within the building trade, his sturdy and modern desk changing the workbench. It’s additionally discovering a house as a desk for puzzle and jigsaw lovers. Dowdle explains that flexibility whereas working and never being anchored to a char can even imply that you would be able to preserve your physique transferring extra, breaking apart that sedentary way of life. He’s discovered that customers are capable of transfer the desk simply to seek out not solely higher wifi positions however higher views. With Lillipad’s potential to cut back ache and improve productiveness, you’ll quickly be thanking Dowdle for being a real “Stand-up man!”
