Standing at my desk (updated with picture)

Standing, a simple subject but the more I look into it the more complicated it seems. Four weeks ago I walked into my office and cranked up my disk to a standing position. After sitting for 20 years and often hobbling with a sore back as I stood up I took a leap of faith.Guess what I no longer have a sore back, my core muscles are stronger and I can not imagine going back to sitting all day. One of my co-workers developed a herniated disk and was forced to stand. He is a three time Ironman and in excellent condition yet his back was failing. Tina Dubois had mentioned she no longer sits at a disk. Daniel Lieberman is quoted as saying "we did not evolve to sit in chairs all day". Simple stuff but until you start to think about it just seems normal to sit. Like any new physical activity there is an adaptation period. My lower back muscles are strengthening and often I need to stretch and sit at the end of the day. I talked to the guy with the herniated disk about the transition. He went through the same experience but after about six weeks he stopped having the back fatigue. Until I talked to him about it he had forgot all about his transition. I am lucky to work for a company that supports good ergonomics. A consultant came in and looked at my setup, made adjustments, ordered a foot rest, monitor stands and a key board stand. One of the biggest thing was getting the mouse at the right level so that my wrist was not bent. If I can eliminate things that support and cushion, the stronger I become. PB

Comments

I've been looking at stand-up desks for a couple years. I don't think my company will out out the money but I'd love to have one!
 
Remzev

There are lots the articles out on the subject.

http://blogs.hbr.org/your-health-at-work/2010/08/the-many-benefits-of-standing.html

I will add a picture off my setup to this post.

Hope you get your desk.

Pb
 
About 3 months ago I took a piece of 4" PVC pipe, measured how tall my work area should be relative to my elbows and stuck the pieces on each desk leg. The first week I felt like a Standing Baba from India (not in a good way), now I can't even imagine going back to a chair. My golf ball is always hanging around for a foot roll and I feel much more active.

Everyone should toss the cushioned a** coffin out the window.
 
I'm in such agreement about standup desks. I don't have a desk at work, I'm an I.T. Guy and work in a humming telco room full of routers, PCs and cardboard boxes. There's a big air exchanger that stands maybe four feet high, and I prop my laptop on it so my hands are reasonably at the same level as yours. I've experienced remarkable improvement in my own chronic lower back pain since eliminating sitting during the workday. I also work barefoot as much as possible, so the symphony of ergonomic changes has had a similarly great effect on me, too!

At home, my laptop sits on the kitchen counter, 43" off the floor and overlooking the living room. I rarely sit anymore, and if Im on the couch, my feet are up.
 
Gkikas, Sara, ramzev

Thanks for the responses. We could start a new club the

Standing workers society, ok the name needs work :)
 
Since we changed building, the new desks that we have at work are height adjustable and can be converted to a standing desk super quick and easily. I have never made use of it before. I may have to try it sometime. Sounds like it could be great. Now, do you go barefoot, or have shoes that encourage a more natural standing form?
 

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