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Standing desk might be as bad as sitting all day

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Re: Standing desk might be as bad as sitting all day

#61
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lol did you just invent a terminal from the 1970s, but a cell phone?

Sounds like the hand terminals from The Expanse which you can flick onto any nearby display. Which I dearly would like to see, but the protocol and security implications make my head hurt.

Apple doesn't have the "flick" UI for it, but you can screen share a Mac to Apple TV, so I'm able to use my TV as a monitor with no trouble. The security boundary is that all devices need to be logged into the same wifi, maybe also iCloud.

Re: Standing desk might be as bad as sitting all day

#63
Here's an article [1] from a few years ago from Cornell ergonomics researchers that is still relevant the discusses the pluses and minuses of both sitting and standing desks.

Here is their recommendation:

> Sit to do computer work. Sit using a height-adjustable, downward titling keyboard tray for the best work posture, then every 20 minutes stand for 8 minutes AND MOVE for 2 minutes. The absolute time isn’t critical but about every 20-30 minutes take a posture break and stand and move for a couple of minutes. Simply standing is insufficient. Movement is important to get blood circulation through the muscles. And movement is FREE! Research shows that you don’t need to do vigorous exercise (e.g. jumping jacks) to get the benefits, just walking around is sufficient. So build in a pattern of creating greater movement variety in the workplace (e.g. walk to a printer, water fountain, stand for a meeting, take the stairs, walk around the floor, park a bit further away from the building each day).

[1] https://ergo.human.cornell.edu/CUESitStand.html

Re: Standing desk might be as bad as sitting all day

#64
post #6

Maybe we need to, I dunno, rethink the way we work in general. Stop chasing silver bullets and admit that movement is medicine. Reading articles like this reminds me of the people I've watched exhaust every possible option for weight loss save for mindful eating and exercise.

Butts in seats is a very poor way to get productivity. It is, however, management enforced. Management only pretends to care about productivity. Until managerial ideology shifts we'll never bother. I think countries beyond the US have a much better prospect of doing this.

Europe might be better but the eastern hemisphere (India, China, Japan) is worse.

Re: Standing desk might be as bad as sitting all day

#65
post #32

My idea to solve all this would be to change how computing is done. We don't talk about radical disruptive ideas enough these days. What if we don't have to interact with computers from a stationary position at all? VR headsets are one direction that might help with this, but in my view there is another way. Decouple peripherals and computing units fully. You'd carry around with you a battery unit that will charge di…

Lol did you just invent a terminal from the 1970s, but a cell phone?

cell phones have embedded compute units in them and 70's terminals were neither wireless nor lightweight.

Re: Standing desk might be as bad as sitting all day

#66
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lol did you just invent a terminal from the 1970s, but a cell phone?

We reinvent thin clients every few years; aren't we due for the latest take on it?

well, think of thin clients but much much thinner, like anorexic clients :) , also think of peripherals, display and audio i/o units being discrete thin clients on their own that network with each other and various compute units.

Re: Standing desk might be as bad as sitting all day

#69
post #37

My idea to solve all this would be to change how computing is done. We don't talk about radical disruptive ideas enough these days. What if we don't have to interact with computers from a stationary position at all? VR headsets are one direction that might help with this, but in my view there is another way. Decouple peripherals and computing units fully. You'd carry around with you a battery unit that will charge di…

I see the big issues as: 1. Input accuracy, speed, and fatigue. Stick your keyboard to a wall and try standing next to it typing for an hour. Even if somehow gestures/sign-language are viable, your arms will get tired, and only a few people will power through the pain with the excuse that it's a form of exercise. 2. Motion sickness and physical safety. We make dedicated workspaces because we need to control external…

1) You'll move your fingers just as if you were typing on a keyboard, and the sensors will give you feedback when you "type", your arm can be in any position, so long as you move your fingers like you were typing on a keyboard it would work. There won't be actual keyboards. accuracy and speed would ideally be similar to a bluetooth keyboard.

2) Dedicated workspaces are fine, you're just not tied to one concept of a workspace. A park bench can be a dedicated work space, so can standing in front of walls, or a seat at a coffee shop. the ergonomics can be adapted accordingly.

3) Multi-tasking is irrelevant here, if I'm just watching a video for example, I can sit on a sofa, get up and walk around after a bit, go to the kitchen and make some food, go to my office and sit on an office chair,etc.. all the while I would be watching the movie. My posture and location is not tied down to the compute device, that would be the ideal goal.

We wouldn't need "smart" devices all that much with this approach either, "things" would interface with my I/O peripherals instead of having their own that requires my interaction. E.g.: imagine getting groceries and you'd navigate the isles and get information about products without a single thing in the store changing, you just have your peripherals interact with the environment better.

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