I’m going to start standing-sitting while working. Got a desk that can do it. Was curious how it has affected other people.
I recently got a huge standing desk at home, 2 meters wide, the computer sits in a holder on the side, it has excellent cable management, and is really durable.
I mostly sit at the desk, but being able to stand when I am tired is amazing.
Aslo, doing cable management under the desk is sooooooooo much easier when you can raise it up and roll in under it on your chair.
Why are they wearing high heels for a posture infographic?
Cause how would you know that they are a womanly feminine well attired businesswoman without the heels? What if someone gets confused??
Gender norms be like that
I just noticed. Its funny. i ddg the image and added the link.
They can’t reach the standing desk without high heels. /s
Yeah come to think of it why is one of them nazi saluting?
No she’s not, but she’s pointing at that fine ass through that glass panel
Because the infographic recommends them?
I got one of those balance boards that uplift sells, it’s actually kind of fun
It’s great. Legit so good. Not only for the back but also productivity. It helps me concentrate better if I stand for like a hour in the morning and evening each.
During COVID I switched from a sit-stand-walk around type job to WFH sitting for the full 8+ hours. I found myself spiraling into some real hip and lower back pain until I invested in some new home office furniture to enable more standing and moving around.
Cheapo walking treadmill was the best $125 Bezos bucks I spent during lockdown.
Walking makes a huge difference.
I average around 14,000 steps a day, and the health benefits to your heart, lungs, joints, and back can’t be overstated.
Can you elaborate on the specific benefits you saw? Did you notice anything in terms of health metrics? Resting heart rate, HRV, blood pressure, watch sleep quality, etc.? I need some motivation to overhaul my desk setup lol.
For me, the biggest benefits have been:
- Significantly-reduced lower back pain
- Better sleep, and I fall asleep more easily
- Mood. (Note that it only takes 20 minutes of activity to get endorphins flowing)
- I don’t get winded as quickly climbing stairs.
Thanks! I could use some improvement in 3 of those, so definitely worth trying.
Standing a whole day usually doesn’t make my body happy, but I regularly stand for like half a day. Sometimes I even switch multiple times. When I work from home I have a standing desk, hit unfortunately at work there are only a few. So sometimes I’m forced to sit all day which I hate.
Standing at home is also way nicer because I can move around without having to check whether someone walks behind me or something. It’s nice to have some music playing and having the freedom to move with the rhythm. Or to just walk around a bit while thinking.
I have an electric standing desk (converts in seconds) and imo it’s extremely overrated and doesn’t actually do anything.
The science behind this is extremely unconvincing other than “standing is fun sometimes” which is great but you shouldnt force yourself if it doesn’t work for you.
What actually works - raise your monitor, lower your keyboard, get a vertical mouse, get a ergonomic keyboard with a track point, get compression socks if you’re older and do some yin yoga / stretching. These things actually work. Just listen to your body as you can feel the exact strain and discomfort if you actually pay attention to it.
Also posture is not harmed through idle poses, you don’t want to keep your back straight at all times - that’s stupid. Main enemy of posture and all muscles is strain and this is fixed by stretching and exercise not standing with a straight back.
You forgot one thing…stand up and walk around even for a few minutes every few hours.
I have the same, and I mostly got it to be able to make minor height adjustments while sitting, but now I love it.
I only stand for a few hours of work, but it’s a major comfort difference to me compared to the office.I would think this would be the key aspect of the standing sitting desk. Being able to move positions all day long.
I listened to some ergonomics person in the office and stood at my desk for years. Now I have a varicose vein. Which it seems might be caused by standing too much. Thanks, ergonomics person.
Science behind this is fun. Apparently, standing for 8 hours straight is even worse than sitting for eight hours straight, but put a little walkpad under the standing desk and you’re good to go, as long as you don’t fall over or something.
It’s because most of the blood return to your heart is passive. The heart pumps OUT through the arteries pretty hard, but the blood finds it’s way back through the veins whenever it feels like it, it just can only go one way because the veins have valves along the way that prevent backflow. A lot of the pressure that actually gets the blood back comes from the contraction of the nearby muscles squeezing the blood up past the valves. So especially if you’re standing with your legs all the way down there from your heart, most of the work to get the blood back up is going to come from your calves and thighs flexing.
My A&P teacher very cheerfully illustrated the point by telling us there’s actually one animal that does have valves in it’s arteries.
spoiler
It’s the giraffe! It has valves in the artery going up it’s neck to help keep up enough pressure to get the blood all the way up to it’s head!
We had a guy at one of my old jobs who was trying to get a not guilty by reason of insanity charge because he was facing a life sentence for something he didn’t want to spend that time in prison for (the only time it’s worth it). Unlike most guys however, instead of faking, he actually drove himself insane! He was actually fine coming in, just had some (dubious) suicidal ideation but perfectly cognitively intact. But the doctor wasn’t buying the suicidal thing after a week or two so he started staying awake for weeks on end then slept for weeks on end, soiled himself constantly, refused to eat then binge ate. Just went absolutely feral until he really was.
One of the things he did for a while was refused to lie down at all. Just stood completely still in the hallway staring at the wall. Did it for weeks. Started to look like a candle melting down into his feet until they began to split open and weep interstitial fluid. Anyway the point is we started having to chase him around the unit a little. You’d go just stand next to him and bug him a bit until you got him to walk a little because we needed to start stimulating some blood return. I forget how that story ended he may have still been there when I finally had it with that place and left.
Bro, I thought you were describing your co-worker!
At least where I am at, under the desk treadmills are against health and safety regulations and very frowned upon by your local health and safety committee.
Anyone got recommendations for great/solid under-desk treadmills?
Made a big difference honestly. Used to work in an office where I sat for 8hrs a day and my back/legs would go numb after awhile. Went all in on an ergo set up during COVID. Sit-stand desk, split keyboard, vertical mouse, etc. I figure if I use them more than 40 hrs a week and they prevent some form of RSI or back-pain, it’s worth it.
Also, the other half of the equation is stretching, yoga, and walking. If I have to wait 5 min for something to run, I’ll do a quick stretch while waiting.
A vertical mouse really helped me at home with my wrists. I was concerned it would negatively affect gaming, and FPS specifically. While there was a bit of muscle memory retraining the first few sessions of play, it seemed to improve my performance. Bonus, I’d say, since long play sessions would usually lead to slight wrist pain before.
Where it didn’t improve performance was with my wife. Or so she says!
You need to also use a standing mat to avoid your your feet/legs getting tired too quickly while you’re standing. Get a good one, not some cheap knock-off.
Also, like already suggested: take as many walks as you can. Not just standing still. Walking will help you heart make the bllod flow better. Plus, it’s great for the health in general, and for the head ;)
Change posture every 30 minutes? I’m unlikely to last 30 seconds! I’m too groovy for that
“I’m just over here, floppin’ about to the beat of my life”
anti fatigue mat
Crocs. Stupid-ass looking crocs will absolutely save you when at a standing desk. Or really, standing for a long time on any hard surface like a concrete office floor. The next best thing would be high-end business shoes designed for comfort while you deliver powerpoint all day, or just hiking boots. But crocs are really the most comfortable and are easy to slip off for more appropriate dress shoes if you’re in an office.
Thicker and softer than any standing mat, they freaking deliver. And you can move around without having to be perfectly positioned in a small area. Also, there’s no mat to get in the way of your chair when you sit down.
When my job was retail, and I was standing a lot, I bought a brand of footwear called Shoes for Crews. Most comfortable shoes I ever contributed to capitalism while wearing!
The nubs on croc insoles are not that great and start to irritate me after a bit. Maybe there are reduced-nub alternatives out there.
There are all kinds of off brands. Many don’t use the same kind of foam though so they’re not as dense. Many are softer.
I’ve got an ergonomic kneeling chair and it has so far been a lot better than an office chair at home for my posture.
Kneelers and bouncy balls? I hunch really badly on them and they really hurt my back.
I have a modern aeron and a progressive sit-stand slab. I stand when I’m too tired to sit. That may not be a good idea but it’s an old rule.
Anyway, I can work longer with it. Woo?
Yeah I can feel a temptation to hunch but the only other option is sitting up totally straight. Works for me most of the time. Otherwise, I stand with my laptop on a large chest of drawers.
If you’re not sitting cross-legged on the work PC. You’re doing something wrong
*while on a yoga ball
Care to explain? Just a joke or is there actually a benefit to it?
I just move my body a lot while working 9-5. cross-legged, backrest to the left, front or right, kneeling on the chair, loitering like a bored teen, perfect 90° angles - everything but hunched over. In 14 years of doing this I’ve never had any back problems, despite being morbidly obese and not going to the gym.
despite being morbidly obese and not going to the gym
I think you have other problems though. Hope you get that sorted out so you’ll love longer, mate. ❤️
I was forced to make the change to standup desks due to chronic neck pain issues… worth every penny.
