What happens when you stand for 5 years
youtube.com
youtube.com
MY "PROS"
o Standing eliminates post-lunch lethargy, for me
o I perceive an increased focus while standing
o I still feel a bit of back soreness while standing, from time to time—standing helps but is not a miracle solution
o Some argue standing is good for dieting as it burns more calories than sitting: http://lifehacker.com/5798791/calculate-how-many-calories-yo...
MY "CONS":
o Standing all day, like sitting all day, is hard on the body, but in different ways (for example, it increases the risk of varicose veins)--to compensate, alternate between standing or sitting, and take breaks, walk around, and so forth, as OP does
o I lost two overhead storage cubbies, in transitioning my desk, to a standing desk--something to consider if you need to consolidate materials
o I'm 6'1" tall and find colleagues shorter than ~5'5" find my high work-surface challenging, during desk-side meetings (a good reason to keep at least one lower work-surface)
Some random other tips:
o Face monitors toward a low-traffic area, to minimize passer-by distractions/eye-contact
o The OP stands on wood floors, but I think that's nuts; get a highly-rated anti-fatigue mat (I got one via ULINE)
o A chair with an adjustable seat height represents a really nice-to-have; the Herman Miller Aeron Stool’s high variant represents the nicest one (again, personal preference, here), with a seat height up to 34"
I quit drinking sugary drinks for that.
One thing I've noticed that the video doesn't mention is what it's like to work at a sitting desk after having exclusively stood so long.
It sucks.
My hip flexors aren't used to sitting for more than short intervals, which means I can't work at a sitting desk for a whole day without having hip pain.
This was an issue last year when I did some consulting at a company where they didn't have any standing desks available. (At some companies I've actually started the standing desk trend, but this Major US Cable Company was having none of it).
I'd imagine if you exercised/stretched your lower back and hip flexors regularly (deadlifts and squats) that you would be OK to sit for long periods of time.
I guess I didn't notice any problems with hip flexors when sitting on a few very long flights recently, so maybe you're right.
Back pain is basically gone. Legs still get tired sometimes and it is nice to take a break and sit occasionally throughout the day. I would not go back to sitting but would like a more interchangeable standing/sitting setup.
Take-aways so far:
- When standing, I automatically change it up - sometimes I stand up-right, sometimes I stand with my legs split a bit.
- After a couple of days of discomfort, I can basically stand all day, no issues.
- I come home, and sit. And if I'm watching TV, I pass out for a good 20 minutes. Automatic nap.
- I don't feel sleepy at work at all. Zero lethargy. I don't feel sleepy after lunch.
Some advice:
- Try to engage your core, your glutes, legs.. different muscles to keep you upright.
- Change things up. I try not to lurch. To lower myself, I split my legs a bit. Sometimes for fun (while reading email, random junk online..) I do a half-squat.
Years ago when I looked into making a standing desk I vaguely remember a couple studies hinting that prolonged standing drastically increases the chances of getting them.
Anyway, I've been standing for three years now and apart from about a month of adjusting myself to the idea, it's been great, primarily my lower back which used to hurt somewhat and stiffen after a work day, other benefits although not dramatic is some weight loss (atleast initially) and better posture.
That was my only concern for a standing desk really. I already walk a few miles a day, but I wanted to add more standing into my daily routine.
It's funny, after you do it long enough your body craves it.
Basically they improve blood circulation and prevent varicose vein problems.
My old coach was convinced it improved recovery time for lower-leg muscles after hard training and more or less made us swear to use them as much as possible :)
>It's funny, after you do it long enough your body craves it.
I'm doing daily (well at least 5-6 days a week) walks myself as well, I do between 50-70 minutes depending on how I feel, and yes it does become something of a craving, I typically feel uneasy if I don't get out and walk.
The reason I started was as part of rehabilitation after a knee injury I sustained during sports, and it became a great habit (something good came out of that injury).
This might also play in to avoiding vein issues when standing since you get the leg circulation up and running during high pace walks.
Conclusions: Sitting time was not associated with all-cause mortality risk. The results of this study suggest that policy makers and clinicians should be cautious about placing emphasis on sitting behaviour as a risk factor for mortality that is distinct from the effect of physical activity.
Note, I'm not claiming that squats will make you smarter. For some reason we get a lot of "correlation science" on HN.
This was a classic misrepresentation in science media.
His posture has improved and doesn't fatigue as easily when standing but don't expect it to drastically improve your life, because overall healthiness is an accumulation of many things.
He hasn't found that he experienced leg pain or much fatigue. He takes routine breaks, preferring to jog in place to refresh his legs, rather than sitting down so much (he noted he takes breaks for eg lunch, I assume he sits down for that). He said he basically hasn't experienced any significant negatives.
On the positive, he said his legs and back feel much stronger. He had back pain for years that is now gone. Early on he wore specific sneakers and was very careful about doing things a certain way; now he has relaxed that a lot, and will wear any type of shoes he wants to, and doesn't worry about having a padded mat under him. He didn't indicate a vast uptick in productivity, but that he may have experienced a bit of improvement there. He said his posture improved dramatically, having removed the hunching-over you often get at a desk.