How has standing or standing-sitting vs sitting while working affected your life?
I'm going to start standing-sitting while working. Got a desk that can do it. Was curious how it has affected other people.
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.
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.
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"
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.
There's an alternative missing in all these graphics: Feet not on the ground.
If your feet are on the ground for hours and hours your heart will be in trouble to pump the blood back up all the way. It's even worse with standing. So see to that your feet are not on the ground, rest your legs on some support under the table, sit cross legged (it's feasible even in office chairs) and take every pose that's not feet in the ground.
Your venes and your heart will thank you.
understood, installing pull up bar to avoid feet touching ground, alternatating between pull ups and sitting like a furry with feet above the desk.
Damn that's not great to hear. I have to stand all day, I don't have much of an option lol
I wouldn't be too worried if you have ordinary cardiovascular health. If your heart has to put in non-trivial work to get the blood up from your legs, I would recommend more exercise.
Just spend a few minutes with your legs above your head each day, and you'll be fine. I usually just lie on my bed with my feet up on the wall after stretching. Sometimes I also end up taking a nap, which is nice.
Compression socks do help though
luckily lying in bed is option for me. I ll be doing standing-sitting-walking-lying.
Slow motion planking, nice.
12 hour desk job. Had Hermann Miller chairs in office but now at WFH I've only just started to upgrade my chairs. I'm active, I'm a runner...but I feel it. I always feel off following my several shifts. It takes a lot just to get back to baseline.
If I slack on my stretches I definitely notice the lower back especially.
I probably should get a desk treadmill...
12 hours is brutal. Good thing youre active Ive also started with stretching. It does feel better.
A walking treadmill has been great at home for me. Just don't use one while playing FPS games. You know how we like to lean with controllers when doing something extreme in game, like leaning over helps eek a little more from the maneuver? Yeah, that happens when walking and gunning. Let me tell you how instantly aware of your misstep you are when that happens!
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.
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.
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!
I switched to standing-only for my work desk about 12 years ago. The first 3 weeks were agony; my hips hurt so much. I stretched a lot, which helped some. Then suddenly it was easy, and ever since I can stand for hours, no problem.
A squishy mat is a must-have, and I also have a footrest to be able to change up my posture through the day.
The first 3 weeks were agony
Yup. Nobody talks about this! You have to break in your legs and build some strength, but it does get better.
Also, don't lock your knees. Those with prior military service knows what's up, but it can also have some nasty repercussions!
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.
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!
Anyone got recommendations for great/solid under-desk treadmills?
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.
I'm an industrial mechanic so when I sit at work I'm either on my break or have nothing to do.
Yeah this is for office/desk workers. It doesn't necessarily apply to everyone.
I thought I really liked it at my old job. So when I moved I bought an electric adjustable desk. Turns out I just had a shitty chair at the old job. When I wfh, I have an Aeron, so I'm perfectly comfortable. I have only raised my desk a few times when I wanted to show something on screen to other people. Having the right ergonomics makes all the difference.
They make a kit to convert Aeron chairs to stool height. I've been thinking about doing that instead of getting a motorized desk. The downside is that you're apparently supposed to lock out the recline feature for safety.
I like having the option to sit or stand, myself, but I'm very active physically so the negative effects of sitting all day are largely muted.
I have bad eyes and a love of computers/gaming, so I spent 30 years hunched over a keyboard squinting at the monitor. It fucked my back all the way up, I've had chronic back pain every day for ~20 years now. Fortunately nowadays I have a recliner and monitors/keyboard on arms so I can see while in a comfortable position. Take care of your back, kids.
Does recling helps with back pain? I work on laptop so I work on bed as well with lots of pillows to support my back.
Having my feet up helps with back pain because it changes the natural angle that my lower back sits at, which affects the level of strain of the surrounding muscles. I sat with my feet up on my desk for a long time before I finally realized why I was doing it and just bought a recliner and a desk that could accommodate it.
I switch between both a lot to mix up my day. Dont have lower back pain if I do. Also, do some core exercises.
I have a sit/stand desk and it's great. I feel like my posture has improved and being on my feet all day bothers me less. I really want to get a small treadmill so I can walk and work. That would be the dream.
I enjoy standing while in meetings, helps me think so it just made that easier. I used to stand 80% of the day now I find myself sitting 80% of the day.
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.
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.
My job is a combination of office and hands-on tasks. My desk is sit-stand but I never raise it. I get up and walk around when I need a break from sitting at my desk. Sometimes I walk a lap around the building. Sometimes I walk up the stairs, then down again. Me and my coworkers like doing squats as a greeting when we pass each other in the corridors. (Nobody shakes hands after the pandemic anyway)
Sitting for so many hours daily was terrible for my back. Switched to a desk that raises and a walking treadmill under. Been doing that for over 10 years now. I will usually start the day walking (1.3 MPH is my sweet spot) stand for meetings ( since my treadmill is too noisy after all these yeara), and sit a bit towards the end of the day.
Pilates for 20mins a week fixed my bad desk posture.
For me it's a difference but I'd say it's minor as for as what I can truly tell. I'm more comfortable now that I can sit or stand when I want. Sometimes I'm restless so being able to stand and easily move while I work feels good.
I have never had a job where I spent the majority of my working time sitting. I really have nothing to compare it to.
Same here. I'd reckon most people do not sit or even stand idle at their jobs. I'd fucking kill to bitch about my posture from sitting at home all day.
Sadly, you'd be wrong. In a country where many are too lazy to wash their hands, there's a lot of crossover with being too lazy to exercise.
I used to weigh 350 pounds. What precipitated my weight loss was noticing that, when I got up from my chair, my hips would have to get right (sorry, that's the best way I can explain it) before I'd be able to walk to the copier or go to the rest room. It was a huge early warning sign.
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 was forced to make the change to standup desks due to chronic neck pain issues... worth every penny.
If you have back problems, get a wide desk, a smaller desk to place on one side, set up two workspaces for one computer, and place a treadmill under the one where you can stand.
Then alternate between sitting and walking with timers. I recommend 10 minutes of walking, 30 minutes of sitting, rince and repeat. Your back issues will be as much as cured, and you'll also not have to worry about heart problems because you'll essentially be walking a few kilometers every day.
If you can't sit for 30 minutes, 10 min walking and 5 minute sitting works just as well. Just don't walk for too long at a time. 10-20 minutes is a good amount. If you're fine with just standing, I still r ecommend alternating. Don't stand for more than 30 minutes at a time.
If I didn't have this setup I would have been without a job right now. Absolutely recommend it.
I dont think I have back pain yet. I feel it some times when i focus on it. I dont have a big space but I can easily switch my setup standing-sitting. I dont have space for treadmill either but my work allows me to take 20mins break easily every hour or so. I plan on walking for 10-20min wherever i find myself.
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.
I had a standing desk at my old job and liked it a lot.
So when a desk riser came up at an op shop for $20, I snapped that up.
I tend to have the desk up when I'm gaming or studying, and lowered if I feel like I just want to chill and watch some YouTube.
However I wasn't aware of the sit-stand technique, so I may give this a go!
I got double hernia from working on the computer. I started doing exercises and got this chair called spinalis and was good ever since.
I got one of those balance boards that uplift sells, it's actually kind of fun
I used to sit at my job and got constant heart blockages and mini-strokes. My acne got so bad I couldn't see.
Then I started standing at work and now I have a huge dick and a big square lantern jaw like Captain America!
Why are they wearing high heels for a posture infographic?
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
Cause how would you know that they are a womanly feminine well attired businesswoman without the heels? What if someone gets confused??
Because the infographic recommends them?