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Comment by scrapcode | Hacker News Reader

I went from a pretty physically active job in facilities management to an IT role working from home about 3 years ago and have had a slew of physical issues that I think are related to sitting down 10+ hours a day such as sciatica. I real a book called "Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World" by Dr. Kelly Starrett and it's pretty damning. Similar to the old comparison that smoking a cigarette takes ~7 minutes off of your life, they claim that every hour you sit down takes ~11 minutes off of your life.

Regardless of everything I have read about sitting down being terrible for you, I just can't seem to get into a routine of standing up. Once I sit down for an engagement / lunch / etc., I just simply don't make it back up that day. I have become terribly lazy, I guess.

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Standing up might be less bad (Edit: it is less bad) but I’ve seen no direct argument that it’s optimal, either. The people who are into this stuff seem to be proponents of variation over standing only. (Standing a lot is annoying and tiring.) The problem though is when they demonstrate that with their 14" laptop on a various surfaces, lying and sitting cross-legged and whatnot… I’m not trading away my monitors anytime soon.

Standing, and standing only, gives people varicose veins, knee, ankle and hip joint problems, spinal problems, and more besides. Heart disease. Thromboses. Stroke.

Life causes death. Choose your method.

Have you considered a standing desk (one where you can adjust the height)?

I don't have one and don't use the one I have in the office, but still.

I did. It remains in seated position. Not because I don’t want to use it but rather that being standing without moving is rapidly uncomfortable and also bad for health. Yes you can alternate. But that’s just annoying.

The hard truth is that we are made to move and to move on purpose but that’s not what the society wants us to do. Standing desks and all are just hacks, not the panacea.

I do have an adjustable standing desk. I have tried days where the goal was to stand all day, but it just doesn't work out that way. Once I sit down and get in the "zone," the next thing I know the day is over.

Standing up all day is really bad for you. Much worse than sitting.

I had not heard of Deskbound, but his other book on stretching is an incredible resource (Becoming a supple leopard).

Don’t believe the BS. Simply make sure you stretch the inverse sitting position every day for 5 min and go for a 30 min walk. It solved all my sitting problems. Sitting down is a great way for you to relax and focus.

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