My main motivation for buying a standing desk would be saving my back from constant pressure. CTRL+F "back" in this article tells me that the author did not care at all about back problems and thought people bought standing desks to exercise. I already exercise in my spare time and commutes.
Why Standing Desks Are Overrated
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Re: Why Standing Desks Are Overrated
#12Well, obviously it's not a replacement for exercise. Was anyone ever claiming that? Because I'd think it's fairly obvious that standing still doesn't exactly burn the calories off. The key is moderation, like with everything. Alternate between sitting and standing. This past year I've started to get problems with my legs caused by sitting. Exercise relieves it, but the aches return when I sit down again. I just spend…
>due to house purchase trouble (and the fact my flat is too small to swap out this desk); I'm still stuck at my current desk.
Have you considered a standing desk converter for your existing desk (e.g. from Varidesk, though there are quite a few other vendors out there with more reasonable pricing)? It's made a huge difference for me in some situations where the existing desk could not be swapped out.
Re: Why Standing Desks Are Overrated
#13The author's bigotry is showing in spades. I don't care if standing all day long is "associated with lower socioeconomic status". Standing makes me feel better, improves my posture, and takes away all the literal physical pains associated with sitting. If this makes me similar to a person working in retail, so be it. Am I supposed to be ashamed of our shared fundamental humanity too?
I think you completely misunderstood the point of that sentence.
Re: Why Standing Desks Are Overrated
#14The author's bigotry is showing in spades. I don't care if standing all day long is "associated with lower socioeconomic status". Standing makes me feel better, improves my posture, and takes away all the literal physical pains associated with sitting. If this makes me similar to a person working in retail, so be it. Am I supposed to be ashamed of our shared fundamental humanity too?
"Standing makes me feel better, improves my posture, and takes away all the literal physical pains associated with sitting."
This. After using a standing desk for a few years, I only occasionally want to sit (like 5% of the time). And I generally regret it after about 20-30 minutes.
I see a lot of standing desk users with improper monitor or keyboard height, and I think this hurts standing desks' reputation. If these are not correct, you will get neck and/or lower back pain if you use the desk long enough.
Unfortunately, it can be pricey to have a workstation that is ergonomically correct for you, because the keyboard to monitor height distance is much greater in a standing configuration vs. sitting. Convertible options tend to be expensive.
Having a cushy floor mat also makes a huge difference.
Re: Why Standing Desks Are Overrated
#15The author's bigotry is showing in spades. I don't care if standing all day long is "associated with lower socioeconomic status". Standing makes me feel better, improves my posture, and takes away all the literal physical pains associated with sitting. If this makes me similar to a person working in retail, so be it. Am I supposed to be ashamed of our shared fundamental humanity too?
It seems like you grossly misread the point the article was making there.
People of lower socio-economic status have worse health outcomes not because of their sitting or standing, but because of more unhealthy behaviors on average and the fact that its harder for them to access quality healthcare in general. So if you found the population of standers was just as healthy as the population of sitters, despite the fact that the standers have less money, that would be an argument in favor of standing, not against it.
Re: Why Standing Desks Are Overrated
#16Best strategy is just drinking enough that you need to hit the restroom with reasonable frequency. You stay hydrated and get well-timed walking/headspace breaks. Win-win.
This is my strategy as well. Keep a Nalgene topped up with water and pee like 10 times a day. Coworkers might raise an eyebrow, but who cares. It works great because of the power of habit--it's easy to sip a little bit of water every few minutes, and then of course you're forced to get up and move around/pee when the urge is strong enough.
Re: Why Standing Desks Are Overrated
#17Zero-gravity desks and treadmill desks have both always seemed like more promising options to me.
What is a zero-gravity desk?
Re: Why Standing Desks Are Overrated
#18My main motivation for buying a standing desk would be saving my back from constant pressure. CTRL+F "back" in this article tells me that the author did not care at all about back problems and thought people bought standing desks to exercise. I already exercise in my spare time and commutes.
Maybe read the article next time. He says standing may help those with lower back and neck pain problems.
Re: Why Standing Desks Are Overrated
#19Best strategy is just drinking enough that you need to hit the restroom with reasonable frequency. You stay hydrated and get well-timed walking/headspace breaks. Win-win.
Anecdotal, but be wary. I drank a lot of water for a long time (120+ ounces a day of water, plus whatever else I would drink). I was constantly thirsty and was worried I had diabetes. It turns out I was drinking _too_ much water and was flushing out valuable electrolytes from my system. Drinking less paradoxically left me feeling quenched, but it took a doctor's visit and blood work to resolve.
Re: Why Standing Desks Are Overrated
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