Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

bitehype.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 108 posts

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#41

Post by Glide »

bmj wrote: post #27
Glide wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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,…

Ok that makes a lot of sense. I'm going to assume you're squatting in a chair as well. That or you have a ridiculously long torso. 15-20 minutes seems kind of a short amount of time compared to standing though.

I think you should stress that latter part more actually. Being healthy isn't just what a person can do in one area but in all areas.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#42

Post by tigeba »

bmj wrote: post #27
Glide wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 have also done this for many years at work. Co-workers generally referred to this position as 'the vulture' which upon reflection, sounds a lot better than 'squatting'.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#43

Post by fooqux »

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?

Did you mean to ask "how old are you that you can't do [something you've never done before in your life and thus don't have the muscles for it] for five minutes what an 80 year old [who has done it every day of their life and thus has the required muscles] can do several times a day"?

Also, I'd like to point out the differences in length of time between taking a shit and a normal 8 hour work day.

I'm not saying this is impossible, but I understand the trepidation.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#46

Post by devcpp »

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 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.

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#48

Post by msluyter »

rwhitman wrote: post #21

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 th…

+1 on that book. It's by Esther Gokhale:

http://www.amazon.com/Steps-Pain-Free-Back-Solutions-Shoulde...

Re: Screw your standing desk. How about squatting?

#50

Post by papa »

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!

So true, small children do seem to squat very naturally and with great form and posture. It's a shame that this gets lost around school age (at least from what I've observed in my kids).

Now as a 40-something adult who performs squats for exercise (both weighted and non) and has to fight with mobility/flexibility issues when performing this exercise, I do envy (and am somewhat awed by) the "tiny humans" in this regard.

Post reply on HN