A standing desk for $22 • Hacker News Board

Re: A standing desk for $22

#171

Post by dredmorbius » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:14 PM UTC

olliesaunders wrote: post #93

nick_urban wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

BMI is a misleading indicator in this case. It doesn't differentiate by body composition at all (e.g. fat vs muscle). I doubt very much that adding muscle to an underweight person would decrease that person's life expectancy. Probably it would improve it (the health benefits of exercise are well known). Either way, it would improve his quality of life.

I don’t think this is true. Pretty much the only proven thing you can do if you want to live longer is calorie restriction. Supposedly this is because the fewer calories you consume the less exposure your body has to free radicals that are important in aging. The corollary of this is that building muscle, which requires eating a lot, is inferior to being a skinny rake for longevity alone. Then, if you eat barely anyt…

No.

The one proven thing you can do to live longer is to not die.

Risk prevention / avoidance is a large part of this, but that includes a lot other than bodyweight. Seat belts, condoms, not smoking, little or no alcohol/drugs, pollution.

Several long term athlete studies show longevity, and quality of life benefits, to exercise (Stanford runners study, Scandinavian olympian study). And the specific mechanism of calorie restriction, telomere repair, is shown in both cardio and strength training.

Re: A standing desk for $22

#172

Post by zcid » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:42 PM UTC

GiraffeNecktie wrote: post #52

jdf wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have the exact same setup at home, and am also a fan. It works well, is cheaper than a lot of other pre-built solutions (although obviously not as cheap as the original post), and seems to be pretty well made. I'm also much happier with the idea of a hand crank than an electric motor. I also ended up getting an anti-fatigue mat as well. I thought that other standing desk folks were overrating the mats, but after th…

Any recommendation for the mat? I picked up some foam thingy's that are sold for gardening. Better than nothing but they seem a little too bouncy.

Search for "anti-fatigue mat". I bought one for $20 off Amazon which seems to do the job well enough.

Re: A standing desk for $22

#173

Post by thucydides » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 6:41 PM UTC

olliesaunders wrote: post #93

nick_urban wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

BMI is a misleading indicator in this case. It doesn't differentiate by body composition at all (e.g. fat vs muscle). I doubt very much that adding muscle to an underweight person would decrease that person's life expectancy. Probably it would improve it (the health benefits of exercise are well known). Either way, it would improve his quality of life.

I don’t think this is true. Pretty much the only proven thing you can do if you want to live longer is calorie restriction. Supposedly this is because the fewer calories you consume the less exposure your body has to free radicals that are important in aging. The corollary of this is that building muscle, which requires eating a lot, is inferior to being a skinny rake for longevity alone. Then, if you eat barely anyt…

"The corollary of this is that building muscle, which requires eating a lot, is inferior to being a skinny rake for longevity alone."

Not true. Stronger people are less likely to die. Strength reduces your risk of death from all causes - and cancer in particular.

"[The inverse relationship between] muscular strength and death from all causes and cancer persisted after further adjustment for cardiorespiratory fitness; however, the association between muscular strength and death from cardiovascular disease was attenuated after further adjustment for cardiorespiratory fitness."

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2453303/

Re: A standing desk for $22

#174

Post by SkyMarshal » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 7:39 PM UTC

goodside wrote: post #54

I used to be an advocate of the standing desk. I bought an adjustable-height Fredrik workstation from Ikea, tried multiple heights to find the most comfortable, and stuck with it for six months. It didn't work. Even after months of practice, I found it harder to concentrate while standing and doing it any longer than a few hours would invariably result in back pain. I found myself turning to "sitting tasks" like movi…

Same. I've actually found that sitting on a Swedish exercise ball is better than a standing desk for me. It forces some active use of muscles and posture, but I don't get tired from it and have to take sit breaks like I do with a standing desk.

Fwiw, 5'11" 200lbs, avid cyclist, don't drive.

Re: A standing desk for $22

#175

Post by recursive » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 8:08 PM UTC

kamaal wrote: post #117

bpbp-mango wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Nobody I know is capable of standing for an entire workday. I used to work in a supermarket and would stand for nearly the entire day apart from a short tea break and lunch break. All the other employees would too. It's not uncommon.

That sort of standing is different than the way programmers work. In what you describe, people walk around and do some physical activity all the time. That's totally different than the way programmers work. We practically stand motionless for hours, with only eyes and fingers moving. That sorting of standing is difficult to do for prolonged working hours. And might be more harmful than sitting for long working hours.

I used to work in an assembly line in a factory. Other than the minimum legally mandated breaks, all the line workers stood in one place.

Re: A standing desk for $22

#176

Post by jonhendry » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 8:12 PM UTC

ricardobeat wrote: post #61

tzs wrote: post #49

The article he cites on the dangers of prolonged sitting is about research on prolonged sitting. That is indeed bad for you. However, so is prolonged standing. You are best off, and you can save $22, by keeping your normal desk and GETTING UP every 20 minutes or so and moving around. This avoids the problems with prolonged sitting, without incurring the serious risks of prolonged standing. See: http://ergo.human.corn…

Getting up to move around every 20 minutes will quickly turn a 5-person office into a mess. Now imagine a space shared by 50 or 100 people. This is completely unrealistic.

You can do some deep knee bends without leaving your cubicle. There's no need to run laps around the office every 20 minutes.

My concern is that you'd be breaking away from your task every 20 minutes, which isn't conducive to many kinds of work.

Re: A standing desk for $22

#177

Post by jonhendry » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 8:14 PM UTC

goodside wrote: post #54

I used to be an advocate of the standing desk. I bought an adjustable-height Fredrik workstation from Ikea, tried multiple heights to find the most comfortable, and stuck with it for six months. It didn't work. Even after months of practice, I found it harder to concentrate while standing and doing it any longer than a few hours would invariably result in back pain. I found myself turning to "sitting tasks" like movi…

When I tried a standing desk, my feet were the main pain issue, even with shoes made for workers who stand a lot, and a cushioned mat.

I also found it harder to concentrate.

Re: A standing desk for $22

#178

Post by dsirijus » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 8:27 PM UTC

dredmorbius wrote: post #165

dsirijus wrote: post #125

I've been combining standing desk, couch and workdesk for some 2 years now. I've completely annihilated back and neck pain with that discipline. Originally, I was using a standing desk just so I can go and smoke in the other room and not stop working. As for BMI... Mine is 35, and I am a walking proof that BMI is a complete bogus for individual to measure his well being. I'm just big boned. My head measures 25" on he…

Now to work on that smoking habit ;-)

Never. I'd rather die.

Re: A standing desk for $22

#179

Post by jonhendry » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 8:36 PM UTC

sliverstorm wrote: post #20

jaredstenquist wrote: post #17

I spent $1,100 on a GeekDesk max (including shipping). An investment in my health was long overdue, especially since I've spent $4-5,000 on my computer setup. The huge benefit is not having to move all your stuff whenever you're done sitting or standing. I press a button and in 10 seconds it's changed height. MAGIC! I highly suggest them to anyone, just watch out for the long backorder. Mine took 3 months to get here…

I'm not against the concept of "investing in your health". That said, while there have of course been studies that show sitting isn't so hot for your health, have there been studies that actually show standing desks are good ? Varicose veins are not high on my list of to-dos, you know.

"Varicose veins are not high on my list of to-dos, you know."

On the Internet, nobody knows you're wearing compression stockings at your standing desk.

Re: A standing desk for $22

#180

Post by billswift » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 11:14 PM UTC

dredmorbius wrote: post #167

dereg wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This cannot be emphasized enough. To anyone reading, you don't have to do more than the big three — squats, dead lift and bench press — to build a strong core and ameliorate most RSI issues. Regular cardio fitness and 10-minute work breaks are good, but can only take you so far. Being stationed at a computer for extended periods of time requires having a proper muscular frame to support your bones.

Chins, man, chins. Why do lats get no love?

Because we rarely ask our muscles to work that way. Deadlifts, especially, strengthen our bodies against the most commonly encountered stresses. While bench presses are commonly recommended, I think overhead presses and bent rows are more helpful at preventing injuries.