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How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

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Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#51

Post by patricklynch »

jnorthrop wrote: post #35
staticshock wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How have you strengthened your feet?

If you wear shoes without arch support and have flexible soles (or go barefoot) your feet with strengthen themselves by having to work just to keep you upright.

Absolutely agree. I made the switch to more minimalist footwear shortly after reading a relevant article two years ago.[1]

If it were socially acceptable to wear Vibram fivefingers where I work, that's what I'd do.

Since that's not really an option, I wear Puma sneakers (the 'replicat' line doesn't have a huge heel cushion) without an insert. And then at home I work standing up, barefoot.

If you're looking for new footwear options, a few places are now selling, ironically, 'barefoot' sneakers. [2, 3]

[1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1170253/The-...

[2] http://www.vivobarefoot.com/

[3] http://www.merrell.com/US/en/Barefoot

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#52

Post by aedocw »

jordanb wrote: post #22

I switched to a standing desk about six months ago. I started by piling a bunch of books on my desk and putting my laptop on top of them. Later I bought this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MS70Z2/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp... It's a tolerably good desk, except that it's a bit small and, while it's veneered to look like plywood, it's actually made of pasteboard with a laminate veneer (that was a big disappointment when i…

Completely agree with you. I've been using a standup for about a year now, details here: http://www.localconspiracy.com/2010/08/get-up-stand-up.html

Regarding the feet, barefoot (on a gel mat) is about as good as it gets. But I've been running barefoot for two years now, so my opinion is biased.

Since switching to standup, I've almost ZERO back problems. Prior to this, I used to have serious back pain for two or three days at a time, several times a year.

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#53

Post by delackner »

mcorrientes wrote: post #42

how long do you guys work ? This works for a couple of hours, but I can't imagine how it feels after coding 14 hours. Best could be to change after several hours between a standing and sitting position.

I can't imagine sitting in a chair for 14 hours without even a few 15 minute breaks. You are setting yourself up for neck injury and long term back pain. (Speaking from experience, as someone who used to sit in a chair for similarly long stretches and thought it made him tough. No, it made me stupid.)

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#55

Post by beagledude »

Moocar wrote: post #54

What about concentration? Does anybody have opinions on whether standing forces you to concentrate on the task at hand more?

I've been standing for about 3 hours right now for the first time ever since reading this article and I haven't skipped a beat actually. It's been a nice change.

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#57

Post by elasticdog »

jtemplestein wrote: post #10

Most of these hacks (and the comments in this post) miss a crucial point about standing desks. They are supposed to be ergonomic. [1] Putting your laptop on a bunch of boxes puts a lot of strain on your arms. Of course this also doesn't work if you have a big display on your desk. I'd be interested in hacking a standing desk that is 1) ergonomic 2) offers support for both laptops and big displays 3) has a usable keyb…

I've tackled most of those with my cheap standing desk...although it's height is not easily adjustable. To switch things up, I have a futon with a lapboard in my office as well:

http://elasticdog.com/2011/01/shelf-made-standing-desk/

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#58

Post by tchock23 »

A while back I bought one of those "lap desk" things that you're supposed to use while you're sitting on a couch or a bed for supporting your laptop. I found that if I stuck it on a normal desk it was the perfect height, and even has a reading light, plenty of room for an external mouse and a place for me to put my coffee in the morning. Highly recommended... Here is the one I bought if anyone is interested:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17258877

It's a bit of a hack, and I was made fun of a fair amount around the office when I first started using it, but I like it a lot. I think I got mine on sale at the time for $19.95. It's certainly a more "elegant" solution than sticking a chair on top of a table, and doesn't require any woodworking skills.

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#60

Post by moultano »

Semiapies wrote: post #41

Anyone tried one of these? I've been curious: http://www.anthro.com/computer-furniture.aspx?desk=elevate-a... http://www.anthro.com/computer-furniture.aspx?desk=fit-adjus...

I'm considering buying one since there's a big sale going on in april. (40% off with the key April2011 when you call to order.) If I do, I'll let you know what it's like.
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