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Standing desk might be as bad as sitting all day

sciencealert.com

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

#161

Post by kryptiskt »

notepad0x90 wrote: post #30

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…

Stephen Wolfram has a walking desk so he can use his laptop while out walking: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2019/02/seeking-the-prod...

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

#162

Post by exe34 »

zeta0134 wrote: post #115
throwaway2037 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That's at least halving my productivity. That is bold claim, and I struggle to believe it. Are you writing from the perspective of "flow"? In my experience, the people who talk the most about "flow", are the ones who are trying to avoid communicating with teammates / managers.

We're trying to avoid communication with teammates and managers because it breaks flow. All the engineers on my team understand this, generally send me chat messages to kick off a convo, and do not expect instant replies. I offer them the same courtesy. Re-establishing context after an interruption takes a tremendous amount of energy. Now, admittedly, standing up for a stretch does not break my flow. Neither does wal…

it's because when you get up for a walk, or wash the dishes, you use different parts of your brain. it's the same as knitting (i.e for an experienced knitter, not a beginner) while watching TV. talking to another person, especially about work related issues, pushes the previous stuff onto a very short stack, and the stack overflows immediately. often times it's not about trying to get the stuff back in mind as it was before, but having to go through the entire series of steps again to get there.

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

#163

Post by michaelt »

jltsiren wrote: post #91
safety1st wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People need to stop expecting their employer to solve this problem, because they won't. They're not responsible for making you exercise. The most efficient way to incorporate exercise into your day is to make it part of your commute. Walking, biking, taking the train etc. - different modes are viable for different locations. If you choose a job where this is not possible, you're just going to have to make it up some…

This is not about exercise. Extended periods of inactivity are bad for your health, even if you are physically active. If the nature of your job is sedentary, you should interrupt the inactivity often enough. This is something all employers should accommodate. Either voluntarily, due to market pressure, or by regulation if more reasonable approaches fail.

Every employer I've ever had, even doing factory and warehouse work, has split the day into circa-2-hour blocks, with a morning break, a lunch break and an afternoon break.

When folks are working a production line the bosses have to coordinate it - but in an office there's more flexibility. And if someone in an office wants to skip their breaks to leave early, or have a larger number of shorter breaks, they generally have that freedom.

Is this not the case everywhere?

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

#165

Post by killingtime74 »

taberiand wrote: post #93
tzs wrote: post #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…

That essentially reads to me as "you can't both be focused on computer work and be active enough to be healthy" Break my concentration EVERY 20-30 minutes to move around for at least 2 minutes? That's at least halving my productivity. It's a total non-starter. It's the sort of advice that everyone pays lip service to, but almost no one is actually able to follow.

So you're saying your health is not your number 1 priority? Interesting that you think everyone else is paying lip service to this basic way to take care of your body.

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

#166

Post by abenga »

taberiand wrote: post #93
tzs wrote: post #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…

That essentially reads to me as "you can't both be focused on computer work and be active enough to be healthy" Break my concentration EVERY 20-30 minutes to move around for at least 2 minutes? That's at least halving my productivity. It's a total non-starter. It's the sort of advice that everyone pays lip service to, but almost no one is actually able to follow.

20-30 minutes is a bit much, but I think getting up every 45 minutes (get a glass of water/cup of tea, go to the bathroom, look out of the window) is reasonable.

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

#167

Post by tmtvl »

SoftTalker wrote: post #52
0xEF wrote: 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.

Next fad: treadmill desks.

The Torvalds Zombie Shuffling Desk does seem like it could be a hit.

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

#168

Post by ChiMan »

tzs wrote: post #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…

Sitting for 20 minutes is about all I can bear. A little voice in my head says to get up and move after that. I don’t mix in standing; I just make an excuse to go to the printer. I’ll stop feeling guilty because of it.

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

#169

Post by oldpersonintx »

taberiand wrote: post #93
tzs wrote: post #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…

That essentially reads to me as "you can't both be focused on computer work and be active enough to be healthy" Break my concentration EVERY 20-30 minutes to move around for at least 2 minutes? That's at least halving my productivity. It's a total non-starter. It's the sort of advice that everyone pays lip service to, but almost no one is actually able to follow.

[dead]

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

#170

Post by cassianoleal »

I move when I'm standing. I stretch my calves, my feet, my back... All of that pretty frequently. I move my legs, I shake my arms loose...

Standing still might be about as bad as sitting but a standing desk has completely transformed how much movement I get whilst on the desk, allowing me to generally avoid breaks to stretch and move as those things happen naturally.

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