Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I built a lay-down desk

blog.luap.info

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 404 posts

Re: I built a lay-down desk

#111

Post by linsomniac »

programmertote wrote: post #70
linsomniac wrote: post #60

I tried this ~15 years ago, based around a Novus Zero Gravity Recliner. At the time I had been having a decade of upper back pain that just wouldn't go away. At one point it was so bad I could hardly get out of bed. At that point I went to an osteopath, on the recommendation of a physician friend of mine, and he gave me some isometric exercises for my neck, and the pain was instantly gone. I'm not kidding, if he'd do…

If you don't mind taking a picture of that set-up, I'd like to see it. If you don't feel comfortable, I'd understand as well. :) I have back-pain and have been looking for a (cheaper/affordable) way to have a lounging work set-up like that for two years now. Every decent option I see would cost me ~$5000 and I cannot afford that right now. Thank you.

I'm afraid I no longer have any part of either of those setups except for one of the monitors, the bike maintenance stand, and the monitor arm. I looked through the oldest photos I have online, and it looks like they are all after that setup, or at least don't include any photos of it.

With the exception of the two monitors, which were $1,100 each, the setup boiled down to roughly: $300 for super duper monitor arm, $250 for the entertainment center (close out from fancy furniture place), club chair I already had, but was $350 from a going out of business furniture place. Also $50 for a couple USB hubs I sticky tape mounted conveniently located on entertainment center (computer was back behind entertainment center).

Re: I built a lay-down desk

#112

Post by Cactus2018 »

frank2 wrote: post #91

When I daydream about something like this, it is so that I can keep my hips straight (the way they are when people are standing or lying flat). In my daydream, I am lying flat "on" ("against"?) a board, as if lying on a bed, but the board is at an incline of about 45 degrees. The board is of a slippery material like formica to make it easy for me to get on and off it, which makes it important for there to be a "ledge…

Maybe the thing you are daydreaming about is an "inversion table"?

Re: I built a lay-down desk

#113

Post by thegagne »

Cactus2018 wrote: post #72
melling wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there good exercises for your back to offset sitting? Body weight exercises would be ideal.

These names are Physical Therapy exercises. Forearm plank, side bridge, bird-dog, dead bug. This video is a meta-analysis of the best rehab exercises for the glute muscles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgWSsaC3UJk This page has pictures of the above mentioned PT exercises: https://mikereinold.com/5-common-core-exercise-mistakes-and-...

+1.

I recently did PT for lower back stuff mostly related to sitting for long periods.

I went from constant “3-4” level pain to “0-1” pain. I’m still working on strengthening, and re-injured my back moving something heavy, but PT was a game changer.

A lot of stretching like the above video shows, as well as working on posture, sleeping position, as well as just overall education on how my muscles work and what to do when I feel them tighten up or feel an area swelling up.

It’s mostly simple stuff but requires habit changes and can be time consuming so you have to fit it into regular routines. Stretching before/after bed, while you brush teeth, etc.

You look weird randomly stretching on a stair while you stir your tea, but it can make a big difference.

Re: I built a lay-down desk

#114

Post by doc_gunthrop »

djeiasbsbo wrote: post #85
andreareina wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IME it's not sitting or standing or lying down that's injurious, it's not moving . My pain to a large extent went away when I stopped staying so still. Now I change my posture on the regular, from leaning against the backrest to sitting away from it to taking little breaks to pace around a bit. Similarly, I used to get eye strain from all the screen time. Until I moved to an office with a view and I found myself star…

I am aware of this which is why I have always wanted one of those standing table treadmill combinations. I'm just not sure that I could actually work and concentrate while running... maybe if the table somehow compensated for the shaking caused by running on the treadmill. Or maybe one could use a VR headset instead of a regular display.

You can't work and concentrate while running. You can only do it walking. Check out Stephen Wolfram's setup: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2019/02/seeking-the-prod...

From his blog post:

> But while standing may be better than sitting, I like to at least start my day with something more active, and for more than a decade I’ve been making sure to walk for a couple of hours every morning. But how can I be productive while I’m walking? Well, nearly 15 years ago (i.e. long before it was popular!) I set up a treadmill with a computer in the room next to my office:

> The biomechanics weren’t too hard to work out. I found out that by putting a gel strip at the correct pivot point under my wrists (and putting the mouse on a platform) I can comfortably type while I’m walking. I typically use a 5% incline and go at 2 mph—and I’m at least fit enough that I don’t think anyone can tell I’m walking while I’m talking in a meeting. (And, yes, I try to get potentially frustrating meetings scheduled during my walking time, so if I do in fact get frustrated I can just “walk it off” by making the treadmill go a little faster.)

Re: I built a lay-down desk

#115

Post by frank2 »

Cactus2018 wrote: post #112
frank2 wrote: post #91

When I daydream about something like this, it is so that I can keep my hips straight (the way they are when people are standing or lying flat). In my daydream, I am lying flat "on" ("against"?) a board, as if lying on a bed, but the board is at an incline of about 45 degrees. The board is of a slippery material like formica to make it easy for me to get on and off it, which makes it important for there to be a "ledge…

Maybe the thing you are daydreaming about is an "inversion table"?

Thanks. (For clarification, in my daydream, my head is definitely higher than my feet.)

Re: I built a lay-down desk

#116

Post by twalla »

I would look into t-slot aluminum extrusions if you wanted to do a v2. It can be ordered pre-cut and pre-drilled from multiple vendors at various price points. And would make teardown/setup much easier.

Re: I built a lay-down desk

#117

Post by tqi »

zoba wrote: post #5

A friend once said “There’s all these studies about how bad sitting is for you. Now there are even studies about how bad standing desks are for you. Nobody ever says anything bad about laying down so I just try to do that as much as possible.” I still laugh. Perhaps true in part though.

"The best position is the next position"

Re: I built a lay-down desk

#118

Post by saalweachter »

msluyter wrote: post #32

In college I had some back problems, so I improvised (an incredibly unwise) lay-down desk by putting my monitor face down on two chairs and just lying with my face underneath it. This was a heavy CRT, not a modern LCD monitor. (Did I mention this being incredibly unwise...?)

I used a recliner under a loft bed with some chains (connected by bolts) making a harness around my CRTs.

Re: I built a lay-down desk

#119

Post by mchanson »

amelius wrote: post #38
zoba wrote: post #5

A friend once said “There’s all these studies about how bad sitting is for you. Now there are even studies about how bad standing desks are for you. Nobody ever says anything bad about laying down so I just try to do that as much as possible.” I still laugh. Perhaps true in part though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_atrophy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_ulcer

Content warning at that Pressure Ulcer click. Its rough and probably NSFW.

Re: I built a lay-down desk

#120

Post by jasonpeacock »

I love the creativity/problem solving, and your plan-less approach. Rapid prototyping is the key to not over-investing.

You'll quickly figure out what you like & don't like, and because you didn't invest too much you're more free to hack it up later :)

Post reply on HN