Apparently standing desks can hurt too • Hacker News Board

Re: Apparently standing desks can hurt too

#21

Post by jfb » Thu, May 16, 2013, 7:08 PM UTC

marcinw wrote: post #10

jfb wrote: post #2

If you're standing, please do yourself a favor and get a standing mat. My ex runs a video store and spends ~8-12 hours per shift on her feet; until they bought and installed standing mats, she had terrible plantar fasciitis.

When I worked in machining, we all had anti-fatigue mats at our stations. Everyone wore Red Wing boots (sneakers are terrible for you), and I heard no complaints of foot pain.

Shoes are huge, yeah. You can go to a local restaurant supply store and get perfectly cromulent anti-fatigue mats, btw. People in kitchens have been struggling with this longer than us nerds.

Re: Apparently standing desks can hurt too

#22

Post by pjnewton » Thu, May 16, 2013, 7:12 PM UTC

All human movement is a skill and anything you "do wrong" over and over again will eventually cause injury. I'd recommend you take a look at Dr. Kelly Starrett's book "Becoming A Supple Leopard" the title may seem silly but the information inside is life changing.

Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Per...

I can also help if needed, contact should be in my profile.

Re: Apparently standing desks can hurt too

#23

Post by bradfordarner » Thu, May 16, 2013, 7:12 PM UTC

After spending years in the military, where your profession is basically standing around for long hours without knowing what the hell is going on, I decided that standing sucked.

There is one general rule: get up and move around! The human body is built to resist staying in the same position for too long. We are built to move.

Go for a run! Or, just go grab a coffee across the street. Just move!

Re: Apparently standing desks can hurt too

#24

Post by willholloway » Thu, May 16, 2013, 7:13 PM UTC

I built a standing desk with two adjustable height shelf systems from home depot instead of splurging on an expensive adjustable height desk.

One shelf puts the monitor at eye level and the other shelf holds the keyboard at the appropriate height.

I repurpose my yoga mat as an anti-fatigue standing mat and take my Air to the couch or bed when I get tired of standing.

Its a pretty good system that I have come to rely on.

Re: Apparently standing desks can hurt too

#25

Post by hhabgood » Thu, May 16, 2013, 7:13 PM UTC

I wouldn't necessarily say that standing desks CAUSE the injury, but you could make the point that going from standing for 0 hours to standing for 8+ hours in a single day or week could cause plantar faciitis. Maybe working up to standing for that long, or standing in intervals would be a better choice.

A great option would be to get a treadmill desk and walk at a slow pace. Not only would you burn more calories but you would also constantly be shifting your weight, meaning less time being spent with your wait placed on one area of your foot. Obviously you would want to build up to 8 hours of walking as well.

Re: Apparently standing desks can hurt too

#26

Post by hhabgood » Thu, May 16, 2013, 7:14 PM UTC

pjnewton wrote: post #22

All human movement is a skill and anything you "do wrong" over and over again will eventually cause injury. I'd recommend you take a look at Dr. Kelly Starrett's book "Becoming A Supple Leopard" the title may seem silly but the information inside is life changing. Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Per... I can also help if needed, contact should be in my profile.

This guy is awesome, thanks for the book link!

Re: Apparently standing desks can hurt too

#27

Post by geekam » Thu, May 16, 2013, 7:17 PM UTC

What was the comment about the weight gain? Does the author mean that one gains weight by standing a lot?

Re: Apparently standing desks can hurt too

#28

Post by [deleted] » Thu, May 16, 2013, 7:22 PM UTC

bct wrote: post #15

iharris wrote: post #6

I thought that it was obvious that if you stand for 8+ hours, you'll want to be wearing proper footwear and/or have a standing mat. Your entire body weight is borne by your feet - treat them nicely! Folks with weight problems or diabetes tend to have foot issues as well - exaggerated pronation/supination, plantar fasciitis, and swelling to name a few. There are solutions for nearly all of these problems and are highl…

Another option is a stool. Having the option to stand can make a big difference, even if you're sitting most of the time.

[deleted]

Re: Apparently standing desks can hurt too

#29

Post by ethnt » Thu, May 16, 2013, 7:26 PM UTC

jama22 wrote: post #4

If you're feeling stiff, get a lacrosse ball and smash it out. http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/11/episode-77-plantar-fascii...

1000 times this. I've found that golf balls work just as well.

When you're doing this, make sure you're rolling it on a hard surface. Putting the ball on a rug makes it harder for you to roll around.

Re: Apparently standing desks can hurt too

#30

Post by e40 » Thu, May 16, 2013, 7:27 PM UTC

iharris wrote: post #6

I thought that it was obvious that if you stand for 8+ hours, you'll want to be wearing proper footwear and/or have a standing mat. Your entire body weight is borne by your feet - treat them nicely! Folks with weight problems or diabetes tend to have foot issues as well - exaggerated pronation/supination, plantar fasciitis, and swelling to name a few. There are solutions for nearly all of these problems and are highl…

Not just your feet, your knees, your hips and your back. I can't stand in the same place for more than 10 minutes before my knees and back start hurting. With a good chair, I can sit all day without problem.