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Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

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Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#21

Post by rwhitman »

If you have a bad back or are interested in posture, there is a wonderful book (ignore the generic title) called "8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back", written by a woman who observed that people in non-Westernized cultures have very little back problems and that they exhibit natural choices in posture that we lost in the West due to various trends and furniture designs. Its a really fascinating read and explores a lot of these types of differences in posture and the positive effects on health.

Edit: I did just take another spin through it and she doesn't mention squatting at all, kind of surprising that wasn't covered considering how universal it is

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#23

Post by cincinnatus »

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)?

I think it was an accident of history in Europe. Something to do with the architecture of castles and ships perhaps.

It is a shame that much of Asia is losing the squat toilet over time. I've found it to be very helpful on occasion. It dramatically reduces apparent constipation.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#25

Post by cincinnatus »

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…

How about while reading? Or thinking? It's not like "using a computer" is a monolithic activity. Electric desk frames allow you to change position throughout the day. The latest one I got (3 segment legs from geek desk) can go so low I can sit lotus in front of it.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#27

Post by bmj »

Glide wrote: post #10
bmj wrote: post #3

Interesting. I've been a desk squatter for years--I've never wanted a dedicated stand desk, but I've been able to configure my set-up to allow good posture while squatting. It certainly provides a nice break from sitting.

I'm curious on how your desk would be arranged for squatting. This is the first I've even heard of desk squatting so I am struggling with how it would be set up.

Well, the setup is pretty normal. I'm in a "normal" cubicle, using a standard keyboard, and a couple of 21" monitors that have been raised a few inches. When I squat, my arms are raised higher than there are when I am seated, but they are still at an angle that is reasonable to maintain for 15-20 minutes at a time. The monitor height is actually better when I'm squatting.

I will note that in 15 years in the industry, I've not had any major ergonomic issues (some of that I attribute to rock climbing), so I'm certainly not suggesting this particular setup for everyone.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#28

Post by fersho311 »

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.

you are probably doing the western squat. If you watch the video in the blog, asian squat is considerable more comfortable and do not cause knee pains.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#29

Post by swombat »

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?

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#30

Post by chromaton »

For me, the key is not keeping in one position for the whole day. That's why I chose to go with an arrangement that allows me to either sit or stand. I find myself using the standing option for about 4 hours a day. I'll use it less (sometimes not at all) if I happen to be more active during working hours. You can see details of my build here:

http://planiverse.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/building-a-sit-st...

I think adding squatting to my set of postures should just be a matter of getting a rigid chair and squatting on that.

Finally, if you do sit, I recommend getting a seat pad designed for wheelchairs. People who can't walk must do a LOT of sitting, so wheelchair seats must be comfortable.

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