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 general well being. Submit-pandemic, extra of us are working remotelßy or in some form 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 tools that may punch your ticket to success.
Colin Dowdle wasn’t an engineer by commerce, he tells M&F, however his love of snowboarding received 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 become a fully-fledged enterprise. In his largest yr, 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 downside 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 house with two roommates within the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago and shortly discovered that working from dwelling with a laptop computer proved to be crowded and hardly comfy. The changemaker put in himself in his mother and father storage and after a ton of trial and error, launched what his web site calls “the world’s greatest 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 setting to offer essentially the most environment friendly workspace doable whereas concurrently decreasing the danger of harm,’ explains one research printed within the Nationwide Library of Medication. Put merely, while you spend a big period of time in a single place, it’s vital to be sure that your physique is comfy and supported, permitting you do keep correct posture. Typically, when individuals are working for lengthy intervals, they slouch or lean ahead an excessive amount of, placing stress on the backbone or neck. Unhealthy ergonomics also can 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. If you take a look at them on high of water it doesn’t look too sturdy however frogs can leap from one lily pad to a different and not using a downside. After which, what folks don’t actually know is that the lily pads in nature will at all times increase and retract primarily based 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 swimsuit both those that are beneath 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 could be hidden away. “So, working from dwelling shouldn’t be going away,” says Dowdle. “It’s going to be right here. For 2 or three days per week working from dwelling, that’s 40 to 60% of your whole workweek out of the workplace. In the event you don’t have ergonomic tools at dwelling, you might be setting your self up for a catastrophe.” Certainly, HR Grapevine experiences that in america, round 149 million workdays are misplaced annually resulting from decrease again ache, costing the economic system $98 billion.
Why the Lillipad Standing Desk is Ergonomically Sound
Apart from cool options like USB shops and surge safety, and the flexibility to buy add-ons corresponding to 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 evaluate on the corporate’s official web site. “Serving to my posture and simply compacts and rolls beneath the mattress in our visitor room.”. The Lillipad is unquestionably a success with taller folks who usually discover it tough to search out adjustable standing desks that rise to their wants. “Thus far 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 let you know what number of tales that I’ve heard, of buddies that I’ve, who have been working from dwelling from a eating room desk, pitching lengthy hours, they usually was 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 received to acknowledge… that there’s an enormous well being threat right here.”
Dowdle additionally factors out that similar to with sitting, when standing, your elbows needs 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 sudden makes use of for the Lillipad, explaining that for a lot of who work within the development business, his sturdy and revolutionary desk changing the workbench. It’s additionally discovering a house as a desk for puzzle and jigsaw fans. Dowdle explains that flexibility whereas working and never being anchored to a char also can imply you can maintain your physique transferring extra, breaking apart that sedentary way of life. He’s discovered that customers are capable of transfer the desk simply to search out not solely higher wifi positions however higher views. With Lillipad’s potential to scale back ache and improve productiveness, you’ll quickly be thanking Dowdle for being a real “Stand-up man!”