Trying the Stand-Up Desk | Hacker News Reader

Trying the Stand-Up Desk

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39 pointsycombwin21 comments

Slightly off-topic, but also very relevant. 36 years old, been coding at desk jobs since college.

My sitting-at-a-desk-all-day-related pain has been really eliminated by a very simple stretching technique. It's known as "upward dog pose" in yoga, but you don't need to do it as part of a yoga routine or anything like that. I've had friends have it recommended to them by doctors.

It's a simple, simple pose; Google "upward dog" for plenty of pictorial examples.

Just about anybody can benefit from doing this and other stretches several times a day, so it's fairly independent of whether you use a sitting desk, standing desk, or split your time between the two. Good luck!

Do you need to do it lying down?

Yes - the starting position is to lie face down. See here: http://www.tinajuanfitness.info/exercises/mod%20upward%20dog...

Oh yeah it's a great stretch. I learned of it from gymnastics. Alternated between a bent over knees with head on ground and arm forward in a kind of prayer pose and that stretch.

The lying twist stretch is good too.

As I sit here with a mid-back pain I've been fighting for over a week now, I've been thinking a lot about getting a sit-to-stand setup. My back-pain probably wasn't caused by sitting though (I am actually quite capable of sitting, typing, etc in front of a computer for hours, even WoW didn't cause me any symptoms) but more probably because of a small 20lb monster I have to carry around frequently.

That said, the sitting for long hours aggravates the sore back resulting in much, much longer healing times. So I'm looking for some way to have a bit more movement and better posture while I work. I'm curious if most people have found this works well for them. Sore feet seem to be the commonly quoted issue, which is where the sit-to-stand design comes in to play for me.

It's about a $750 purchase for a geek desk. Is it worth it?

Before dumping the money on a geek desk, you really ought to try a hacked-together solution for a week or so. There's the $20 IKEA hack option or you can just stick a chair or a box on your desk.

You may end up finding your prefer a specific configuration and look at other standing desk options.

Also, in terms of sittings vs. standing and sore feet. I've been OK with comfortable shoes, but I'm close to getting a standing mat. There are some pretty pricey ones on Amazon, but Uline sells standing mats for $30 that are probably comparable to the expensive ones.

A hacked-together solution can be a good idea for trying it out without incurring the expense, but it's important to take note of what's being sacrificed or neglected in a hacked build. (If you can get that down to "none", so much the better!)

$22 option: http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Ikea-Standing-desk-for-22-dolla...

Assuming that your financial situation can withstand it, I'd say yes to the standing desk. I'm honestly not sure what my desk at work cost (company purchase), so I can't give a very precise cost/benefit analysis or tell you what's a good price point, but I do absolutely cherish my standing desk.

Unresearched opinions and anecdotes:

* It wasn't so much painful but I was aware of my feet for the first week. Don't let yourself get locked into one stance; shift your weight slightly or walk a few paces, and you'll relieve that sensation. Now I shift my weight without thinking (and walking around is a good idea anyway). Fatigue mats or yoga mats are what some people use.

* Your back won't necessarily thank you right away. You may find that you're engaging small muscles that have been neglected. Keep a good posture (head upright, shoulders not rolled forward, core muscles lightly engaged) and you'll get stronger for it.

* This should go without saying, but what you do in your non-desk time affects how you feel. I am a runner, I bike or walk to work, I eat healthy, and I sleep on a fairly nice mattress. The adjustment may be harder -- and the benefits smaller -- for people who don't have a well-rounded health profile.

* It sounds like this is already on your radar, but standing desks aren't an all-or-nothing proposition. I usually sit once around lunchtime and sometimes again before I leave work, for a half-hour each.

* Use some type of guide to calibrate your standing desk -- I think http://www.ergotron.com/tabid/305/language/en-US/default.asp... is a decent one. Some people find themselves standing too close to their desks when standing (used to hunching forward into the monitor?); this can be somewhat mitigated by ensuring that your keyboard and mouse are in a location that reinforces the proper distance.

It's also worth checking out the Ergotron range of sit-stand bolt-on surfaces. I'm typing this on one - it's remarkably good.

>It's about a $750 purchase for a geek desk. Is it worth it?

If you're a typical, eight-hours-a-day-at-or-near-computer HN person, then yes. I've had one for a while and keep meaning to write a longish post about the sit/stand experience, but the short version is that I'd find it hard to go back to a purely sitting experience (here are a couple photos of my setup: http://jseliger.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/the-geekdesk-writin... ).

That being said, I also don't think I'd like to stand all day either, since my legs do get tired after a while. And apparently standing all the time has its own set of health issues associated with it, and from what I can tell most research points to variety in movements, motions, and positions as being the most important thing one can do.

BTW, the Geekdesk you want is probably closer to $1,000, shipped: the shipping fee is $125, and you really want the GeekDesk Max, which lets you pre-set a number of positions. Once you figure out the right height for sitting and standing, you'll probably use only those two heights. There are four presets, so a second person could easily configure the same basic setup.

Their customer service is insanely good.

I've got a Geek Desk and I love it. Worth every penny.

Personally, I can say using a stand-up desk has been a game changer for me. No longer do I suffer with neck and back pain.

Extended sitting has become a serious issue in today's workforce and there are plenty of options out there to get the job done.

My stand-up desk (UpDesk)is height-adjustable, which allows for better movement and customization. Finding the perfect mixture of standing AND sitting is key. Remember, anything in excess can be harmful.

Overall, standing up while working is extremely beneficial. I've noticed it has helped my focus, productivity, and energy level. Not to mention it has the ability to add years to my life.

31 years old. I've been using stand up desk for more than a year and half now after succumbing to a lower back pain and having to sleep on the floor for more than a month to get at least some sleep during the night. It worked for me. For the past 3 years I continued working a lot of hours at a computer (my side project, my main work, and sometimes some consulting work for clients).

I don't stand 100% all the time though. It is more like, somedays I sit more, somedays I stand more. I believe the key here is listening to your body and ability to easily change the position accordingly (sometimes I feel like standing, other times like sitting).

I actually woke up this morning and randomly decided to try a standup desk, so I put a chair on my table for my laptop screen and a box underneath for my keyboard[1]. It took absolutely no initial investment to try a stand-up desk. I'm going to try it whenever I'm at home before deciding to invest in a proper setup.

1: https://twitter.com/neilgupta/status/255039626849443840/phot...

If you want to try it just buy some cinder blocks from lowes / home depot. They're about $2 each and 4 of them will get your desk up pretty high. I'm 6'2" with a regular height adjustable work desk (many office ones are). For $16 I tried it out for a month. Have a Geek Desk on order. Still need a floor / mat solution for my office.

I've been meaning to try setting up a standing desk, but there was a major earthquake where I live 2 years ago and 6 or so major aftershocks since. There is still a high change of another major aftershock so I can't really stack my monitor on random things.

You could use the security kensington lock feature available on many monitors to act as a "catch" so it won't fall over.

I tried a standing desk for a while, but didn't have a way to adjust the keyboard height, so it ended up causing strain for my neck and shoulders. I'd give it another shot with a more legitimate piece of furniture -- mine was makeshift.

Perhapse you should talk to nurses who stand all day or doctors take care of them? See venous insufficiency and lower extremity edema. I recommend Ted hose...good luck .

The best desk is neither stand up nor sit down, but fully adjustable between the two. Staying in any one position for lengthy periods of time can be harmful.

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