Screw your standing desk. How about squatting? • Hacker News Board

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#61

Post by iopq » Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 4:53 PM UTC

vidarh wrote: post #53

devcpp wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same goes for sitting toilets though. And we still don't have any arguments supporting either position. I do squat for a few minutes every day to facilitate my squat lifting workout but don't see an inherent benefit. I suppose one can argue that it has been a natural movement for so long that our bodies may be genetically designed for it.

Look at young children, and see how effortlessly they can sit for ages in squat positions while playing. After I started fixing my squat for lifting, I've noticed I now often naturally squat down instead of awkwardly contorting myself when playing with my son for example. My mobility is still poor compared to what it was when I was a child, but at 38 I'm now finally more flexible again than I was at 25, maybe more so…

they have very short limbs making this very easy

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#62

Post by nailer » Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 4:53 PM UTC

vidarh wrote: post #51

quarterto wrote: post #4

After wading through the article's obnoxious style, we see it provides no tangible arguments against standing, nor for squatting. In fact, the only argument against standing is that it's uncomfortable, and then the rest of the article is spent explaining how to make squatting less uncomfortable. Squatting for more than 5 minutes would probably make my knees explode.

I do power lifting, and had significant problems with my squats until I spent a few weeks practicing asian squats and generally improving my hip mobility. I still can't stay in a squat position nearly as long as my four year old son, but it's been steadily improving. When I started squatting, my knees were so weak I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without pain. I finally started exercising because my doctor gave…

> until I spent a few weeks practicing asian squats

Is that a specific type of squat, or just a normal squatting position without any weight?

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#63

Post by vidarh » Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 4:57 PM UTC

sdegutis wrote: post #26

I can't seem to balance as I squat with feet flat on the ground. This is hard. My kids (esp. baby) can do it just fine though. And I won't be outdone by a bunch of tiny humans!

You most likely lack hip and/or ankle flexibility. Practice going as deep as you can without falling over, optionally while holding onto something (for stability, try to keep the weight on your feet), and try to go deeper and/or hold for longer every day. It'll get easier.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#64

Post by rwhitman » Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 4:57 PM UTC

JshWright wrote: post #55

rwhitman wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently its almost unheard of in some cultures to have any sort of back problems, even after decades of physical labor etc. The premise of the book is that the reason for this is that these people are using their spines and posture in a more natural fashion, which leverages the structure of the spine better, but we don't do it in the West as the result of a kind of cultural revolt against victorian era posture nor…

> Apparently It's not readily apparent to those of us asking for proof...

I recommended a book that I found interesting and helped me with my back problems. I'm a web developer not a doctor. Thats the best I can do for you.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#65

Post by glynch » Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 4:58 PM UTC

nailer wrote: post #62

vidarh wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do power lifting, and had significant problems with my squats until I spent a few weeks practicing asian squats and generally improving my hip mobility. I still can't stay in a squat position nearly as long as my four year old son, but it's been steadily improving. When I started squatting, my knees were so weak I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without pain. I finally started exercising because my doctor gave…

> until I spent a few weeks practicing asian squats Is that a specific type of squat, or just a normal squatting position without any weight?

They're referring to the resting squat position talked about in the article.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#66

Post by pessimizer » Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 4:58 PM UTC

lazyjones wrote: post #17

Let's think about why we gave up this position for going to the toilet, even though it allowed for better hygiene and simpler toilet designs. Is it because we "lost" this position at some point, or perhaps it wasn't that comfortable after all (for the bowels, for example)?

Who is "we"? Plenty of people still squat.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#67

Post by nostromo » Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 5:00 PM UTC

Don't most of our fellow primates spend most of their time squatting? Maybe they're on to something?

http://i.imgur.com/leDTqgl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3f8c0PK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/DBXxFvo.jpg

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#68

Post by vidarh » Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 5:00 PM UTC

nailer wrote: post #62

vidarh wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do power lifting, and had significant problems with my squats until I spent a few weeks practicing asian squats and generally improving my hip mobility. I still can't stay in a squat position nearly as long as my four year old son, but it's been steadily improving. When I started squatting, my knees were so weak I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without pain. I finally started exercising because my doctor gave…

> until I spent a few weeks practicing asian squats Is that a specific type of squat, or just a normal squatting position without any weight?

Knees wide, butt touching ankles, pretty much.

When people unused to squatting squat down, they often end up barely reaching parallel.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#69

Post by epaladin » Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 5:00 PM UTC

swombat wrote: post #29

quarterto wrote: post #4

After wading through the article's obnoxious style, we see it provides no tangible arguments against standing, nor for squatting. In fact, the only argument against standing is that it's uncomfortable, and then the rest of the article is spent explaining how to make squatting less uncomfortable. Squatting for more than 5 minutes would probably make my knees explode.

Mostly because you don't squat properly and/or aren't used to squatting... In China, until recently, all toilets were basically squatting toilets, yet octogenarians had no issue squatting to use them... how old are you that you can't do for 5 minutes what an 80 year old can do several times a day?

Same in Japan. It's also pretty common to see people squatting near buildings for smoke breaks, etc.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#70

Post by troymc » Thu, Jan 30, 2014, 5:01 PM UTC

notacoward wrote: post #11

Dumbest idea ever. The hyper-fit guy sitting in the gym isn't looking too bad, though having the knees rotated that far out for any length of time isn't going to work out well. (Yes, knees-out squatting and knees-in squatting are very different things.) The woman in the second picture has the same problem, plus hyper-extending her arms and bending her wrists too far back. The third woman . . . oh, I don't even know w…

I can see how using a standard keyboard while squatting could be problematic.

However, I suspect it may possible to design a new input device (or mechanism) that's optimized for use while squatting. It might take time to learn, but then so does a keyboard.