The Benefits of a Standing Desk Balance Board (Options and Costs)


In the past couple of years, there has been a shift from the use of traditional seating desk to the standing desk. This is because of the many health benefits that using a standing desk offers. Using a standing desk while something great on its own is made even better when you accessorize with a balance board. Balance boards are useful because they help you train your balance, have fun, develop your brain and do athletics training, at least that’s what is said about them. Being someone that’s deeply invested with the office environment and have a lot of experience with it, I can tell you a thing or two about how beneficial balance boards are, and I will.

How can a standing desk balance board improve my standing desk experience? A balance board is a way you can exercise at work without having to go to a gym. It’s an effective way to combine exercising with your work routine which ultimately leads to improved productivity and health & fitness.

The standing desk on its own offers a myriad number of benefits, and you want to know how the balance board improves on that.  A balance board is an accessory that when combined with your standing desk allows you to engage and exercise in a fun and time effective manner.

There are, however, different types of balance boards and these are listed below.

Two Types of Standing Desk Balance Boards

– Wobble balance boards

– Rocker balance boards

There are different types of balance boards which you can utilize to train and improve your balance. Not all of these boards are, however, suitable for use in the workplace with your standing desk. Some are way too intense while some just constitute too much distraction. Balance boards generally can either serve as a means of physical therapy or as a means by which you engage in vigorous exercising.

The office balance board is a subcategory of balance boards that came out in recent years. It was developed to serve as a solution to standing desk enthusiasts looking for the right balance board to accessorize their desk with. This type of boards offers several benefits over their other counterparts which include more space for movement, better stability, and better aesthetics. They are also varied in terms of balancing as the mechanisms employed can be used by both beginners as well as intermediate users. For a standing desk, two different types of balance boards are suitable for use in the workplace. These are the wobble boards and the rocker boards.

Wobble balance boards: these are the most common boards used with the standing desk. They more often than not come in a size smaller than most other standing boards. Wobble balance boards enable you to move in any angle and direction you want. This simply means that they support a 360-degree range of motion. Wobble balance boards are especially good for increasing your sense of balance. This is because they have a bowl-shaped base at their centers. This center serves as the only pivot point, and as such, you are forced to focus on maintaining your stability on this point. While this might prove a little hard for people who have balance issues, the results and benefits it eventually bequeaths are well worth the effort it takes to master its use. The deck size of wobble boards usually ranges from 15 to 20 inches. They are a great and proven means of physical therapy and keeping fit.  Get your Wobble balance board on Amazon HERE!!!Opens in a new tab.

Rocker balance boards: rocker boards are much easier to use than their wobble boards counterpart.  This is because they do not require as much focus or dedication as wobble boards due to their range of motion being quite limited. Rocker boards are so named because they make a rocking motion from side to side or from front to back. This is, however, dependent on how you position the board. Rocker balance boards have a base that is semi-circular in shape. The maximum deck size of rocker boards is 20” x 20” which makes them effective for use in physical therapy as well as for rehabilitation purposes. Such purposes might be required due to an injury to the ankle or have undergone some type of leg surgery.

Rocker balance boards, among other things, prioritize working out your core muscles as well as those of your legs over maintaining balance. Using them has also been found to help improve posture while standing.  Get your Rocker balance board on Amazon HERE!!!Opens in a new tab.

How to Choose the Right Standing Desk Balance Board?

– Type of the balance board

– Balance board size

– Design of the balance board

– Price

– Tilting degree

In order to gain the most benefits possible from a standing desk balance board, there are certain things you will need to put into consideration. Balance boards, as already mentioned, are of different types. Apart from this, they also exist in diverse shapes and sizes. In choosing a balance board, you should consider where you will be using the board as well as the use to plan to put it to and the benefits you plan to derive from it.

One crucial thing to put in mind is that a standing desk balance board is meant for use in the workplace. And the workplace is not a place for intense working out; as such, you should look for a balance board that allows you to move while not serving as a distraction from your duties. An ideal standing desk balance board enables you to make minimal movements and does not require your full attention in order to maintain your stance such that you will not be able to focus on work.

The following are the factors you should keep in mind when looking to buy a standing desk balance board;

The type of the balance board: which type of balance board would you rather have; a wobble balance board (a hemisphere is a type of balance board that enables a board to wobble) or a rocker balance board which has a semi-circle support as already discusses.

The balance board size: yet another thing you need to decide before buying a balance board is its deck size. This is dependent on your personal preferences as well as on things such as your height and build. A tall person with long legs will certainly require a balance board with a bigger deck size than a short person. This is because a tall person requires quite an expanse of space to move comfortably around in.

The design of the balance board: yet another thing you might need to decide on is the type of design you want. This could be dependent on where you plan to use the balance board. As the balance boards under discussion here are standing desk balance boards, you should endeavor to choose one that fits in the workplace. Avoid something that looks too garish and is all bells and whistles.

Price: the kind of standing desk balance board you buy will most certainly depend on your budget. Balance boards have prices that are all over the place from as little as $20 to as much as $489. Try to choose one that offers value for its price. If you can get standing desk balance board for $50 that offers the exact same benefits that one which costs $150 does. Then, by all means, buy the cheaper one. Ensure the balance board you choose offers value for its price, keep that in mind when budgeting on how much to spend and planning which balance board to choose.

The tilting degree: another important thing to keep in mind when choosing a standing desk balance board is the degree of tilt it has. A balance board with a high degree of tilt will be quite extreme for someone who isn’t very adept at maintaining his/her balance. So, try and choose a board that provides just enough tilt that you can work out your core and leg muscles while at the same time be comfortable and not have to spend all of your time straining to maintain your balance. If you, however, really desire to improve your balance and you are sure this won’t interfere with the discharge of your duties, by all means, go for a balance board that will challenge you.

6 Benefits a Standing Desk Balance Board Offers You

1. Helps you achieve a better posture

2. Helps you stay alert and aware

3. Reduces the chance of having an injury

4. It encourages micro-movement

5. Makes for better coordination and stability

6. Better health

Helps you achieve a better posture: we hear every day that posture matters, the right posture anyway. Poor posture is, however, still a prevalent problem in society today. This is especially true for people who stay hunched over a desk for most of the day either standing or sitting. Poor posture happens as a result of excess body weight, imbalances in certain muscle parts, having an injury, sitting still and in the same position for a long period among other things. Poor posture is responsible for many problems we experience such as back and neck pain, joint pain and so on.

You can, however, banish this bad posture through the use of a balance board with your standing desk which will help you strengthen your core and abdominal muscles as well as those in your back and your shoulders. This will translate to a better posture which will eventually result in an elimination of those aforementioned pain you would normally experience when you have bad posture.

The use of a balance board is one very effective and efficient means by which you can build those muscles that determine your posture. Combine this particular benefit with those accrued from using a standing desk, and you are well on your way to being as fit as a horse.

To fully correct your poor posture, you should also perform some static stretching exercises which will help you work out the kinks in your muscles.

Helps you stay alert and aware: staying alert is another benefit attributable to using a standing desk balance board. Imagine dozing while standing on your feet. That’s quite hard, right? Now, imagine dozing on your feet while standing and working. That is almost impossible to do except maybe you have a superpower associated with sleep. By its very nature, a standing desk balance board will help you maintain awareness while you work. This is because it encourages motion which will help you overcome the boredom that might otherwise have come with you standing motionless on your feet without a board.

Reduces the chance of having an injury: yet another benefit that you can associate with using a standing desk balance board is the fact that it helps prevent injuries. Using a balance board provides balance training which means that those muscles you use quite often are getting developed and being improved upon. This means that you will have an increase in your functional strength. Functional strength refers to the strength required to accomplish those activities that form your daily routine.

Using a balance board ensures that you strengthen your core, back, shoulder, glutes and leg muscles so as to maintain your balance and stability while making use of it. This, in turn, means an increase in functional strength which translates to a reduction in the possibility of falling down at work or experiencing a muscle pull. This translates to a reduction in the possibility of sustaining an injury, especially ankle related injuries.

It encourages micro-movement: in case you didn’t know, making micro-movements is quite beneficial than standing stationary. Micro-movement refers to low-intensity movements you will be forced to make simply by using a standing desk balance board. This micro movement will help get rid of the fidgeting you would have experienced if all you do is stand at your desk in a stationary manner without using a balance board. Interestingly enough, they are also a form of exercising which is ultimately good for the body.

Makes for better coordination and stability: using a standing desk balance board requires balance. It requires you to maintain your stability and balance. Juggling the maintenance of your balance and stability on a balance board with getting work done requires a high degree of coordination which you will have no choice but to develop if you plan to be productive. Such coordination will help you become more productive as you will be able to accomplish your tasks more effectively than you could before.

Better health: standing on your feet, on a balance board which requires constant movement is an effective way to improve your health. Combine this with the fact that you become more aware, are better able to remain focused and so on and you will see how the use of a balance board is good not only for your physical health but also for your mental health.

With all these, you will find that it is in your best interest to purchase a standing desk balance board. The many benefits it offers are just too good to pass on. Considering the fact that the purpose of using a standing desk would be defeated without accessorizing with something such as this, it becomes even more important that you buy one to go with your desk so that you can get the maximum benefit possible.

Some related questions

What muscles does a balance board work?

The muscles worked by balance boards are those muscles that get used on a regular basis. This includes the back, shoulder, glute, legs, and core muscles.

Do balance boards help lose weight?

Yes, balance boards help lose weight. This is because using a balance board requires you to be able to maintain your stability and balance. This, in turn, requires that a lot of your body’s muscles are put to work. By so doing, you will lose weight.

What other standing desk accessories can I get?

There are several other accessories you can buy that will help you get the most out of your standing desk. Some of these are listed below;

Comfortable shoes: since you will be standing on your feet to work, you will not be able to afford to wear uncomfortable shoes such as shoes that are too tight or that pinch you.

Footrest: this will help you maintain the health of your feet.

These are some of the others you should consider investing in.

TreadmillOpens in a new tab.

– Foot roller

– Supportive chair

– Step stool

Anti-fatigue MatOpens in a new tab.

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

Recent Posts