

Avoid hemorrhoids: Improve Hacking and Health by Moving Your Chair - rarrrrrr
https://spideroak.com/blog/201003291900-improve-productivity-and-health-by-relocating-the-chair

======
goodside
I'm typing this from a standing desk:
<http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1038179/Fredrik2.jpg>

It's a "Fredrik" from Ikea, which courteously lets you choose the height of
the desk and shelves, and doesn't stop you from putting them in the wrong
spots. I've been using it for almost a year, and it's perfectly sturdy.

One caveat: make sure you make it high enough. Using a standing desk when the
keyboard is even a few inches too low can be miserable on your back. The desk
should be at the height of your elbows, and no lower.

~~~
Gotttzsche
are you a dwarf? i might be seeing it wrong but it looks pretty low for a
standing desk.

~~~
goodside
I'm 6'0". The desk surface is 3'9" from the ground. It's not low. My
girlfriend is 5'6" and can't use it comfortably without standing on a yoga
block.

------
tokenadult
I've been sitting on an exercise ball for the last couple years, since I read
a local newspaper article about schools in my community that offer those to
schoolchildren to sit on. But only last week I discovered that most school
exercise balls have knobs on them that keep them in place. Mine is a regular
ball, which can roll in any direction. Maintaining my balance provides subtle
movement any time I am at the computer, which is a lot of each day for me.

P.S. What do all of you recommend for more ergonomic keyboards and pointing
devices? I am not happy with my Dell keyboard nor with any mouse, but the last
trackball I tried was even more annoying than my current mouse. (I have liked
trackballs very well in the past, but I have to favor my thumb basal joints
now that I am older.)

~~~
kristiandupont
I tried trackballs and various kinds of mice. Then, I switched to laptops and
I decided to only rely on the touchpad. So I forced myself to learn keyboard
shortcuts for all the programs that I use regularly, which sped up my
productivity and now I only use a mouse for occational gaming.

~~~
pyre
Truth be told, I never liked trackpads, then I came across TrackPoint (i.e.
'the nipple') on a ThinkPad. Best... pointing... device... ever...

~~~
rg
Moreover, you can buy a USB version of that ThinkPad keyboard which plugs into
any computer: "ThinkPad USB Keyboard with TrackPoint" (part 55Y9003), $59,
link to Lenovo store is
[http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPo...](http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=38&Code=55Y9003&current-
category-id=E6710B8C5A5F44239217E34D281CCDD9&&hide_menu_area=yes)

~~~
pyre
TrackPoint is the one reason I'm really reluctant to get a netbook. I'll just
stick with my X41 (or maybe get a used X60 or X61) until they get a netbook
with TrackPoint.

------
jimmyjim
I have one question as regards ergonomics. How do you keep good neck posture?
I've a habit of protruding my head outward really close to the monitor, and
reading books at a very close distance (like 6 inches). As a result, my
shoulders, neck, and head now make out the x^3 curve (it should of course
ideally be somewhat straight). I have to consciously think about keeping my
neck straight... but it's very hard to be mindful of this 24/7.

~~~
goodside
Raise the monitor until you have to look straight ahead to use it. Bring it
closer to you if necessary. Get glasses.

~~~
jimmyjim
My eye sight is perfectly fine (well, with the glasses on), so that's not a
problem. It's just a habit I've had for as long as I can remember. I would
bring it closer to me, but I think that's bad for the eyes. I'd kill for the
E-ink technology to come to computer screen monitors, even if it's with a bad
refresh rate.

------
juvenn
This stand-up hacking approach, does not only make my hacking productive, but
also helps me on critical thinking. When I'm not typing, I just walk away from
screen, and do some critical thinking instead. After I cleared my head, I'll
continue typing and hacking.

Looking at screen while thinking would make me scatterbrained, and get nothing
done.

------
marknutter
I used a standing workstation for about a year. I now have a really nice
ergonomic chair and a good desk. The standing workstation was pretty nice, and
the OP is right, you do get used to standing after a couple weeks of doing it.
The fact was, however, that because it took more effort to stand than sit, on
the days I didn't really feel like working I was much more inclined to sit on
my couch or at the kitchen table than I was to use my standing workstation,
which of course negated any benefit I had from using the standing workstation.
So I eventually abandoned the idea. I encourage people to try it, but I have a
sneaking suspicion that most people grow tired of it and move back to a desk
eventually.

~~~
goodside
I've had a standing desk for about a year, and largely for the reason you're
describing. I have a tendency to stay up late coding, and a standing desk
makes it harder to waste time staring at a bright screen when I'm tired enough
that I should be sleeping. It's a feature in my book, but probably not so much
if you're someone with a morning deadline.

------
dougfort
Reading this from my chair

~~~
electromagnetic
I stand all day as it is, so I prefer my computer time to be spent with my
buttocks in a nice comfy chair.

------
rudin
I like this idea but couldn't implement it due to problems with my heart. I
think the old company of diet + exercise + not being grossly overweight should
never be overlooked. Also I find frequent walks (on the pretense of getting
coffee) can be very beneficial.

------
PStamatiou
or more importantly: workout regularly

------
Estragon
Donald Rumsfeld does this. He used it to justify "stress positions."

[http://www.time.com/time/columnist/klein/article/0,9565,6582...](http://www.time.com/time/columnist/klein/article/0,9565,658285,00.html)

------
techiferous
If you stand, proper keyboard height is very important. Your wrists should not
be bent while you type; otherwise, you risk a repetitive stress injury.

~~~
sketerpot
People get this wrong all the time, and use cheap, sticky keyboards. I made
this mistake, and got a repetitive stress injury that made typing painful.

Now I've got a better keyboard and zealous devotion to proper keyboard height,
and my hands don't hurt anymore. Don't make the mistakes I did. POSITION YOUR
KEYBOARD CORRECTLY! This is important, and warrants capital letters.

~~~
techiferous
Yes, it is important. I've met two programmers who can no longer type at all
because of a repetitive stress injury.

------
ivankirigin
I have a standing desk now. Highly recommended.

