Ask HN: Question for standing-desk users

wdrwilson · on Sept 4, 2011

I have been using a standing desk for over a year now. I use an Ergotron Work-fit Sit-Stand workstation. It allows you to move from standing to sitting just by pushing down on the desktop, or pulling it up.

When I first started with the standing desks I found it quite difficult, I felt like I couldn't concentrate with out sitting. It took a couple of weeks to get used to it, legs were sore for the first little while. Back pain I had from sitting went away. Now as far as physical condition goes.. not so good. I am quite heavy 330+lbs so if I can do it anyone can.

So what works for me now is a combination of sitting and standing. I go through phases of mostly standing or mostly sitting.. but I think a good balance between both is the way to go. I stand for a few hours, then sit for an hour or less, then back again. Some days I could do 6 hours no problem.

My advice is to try it until you get used to it... You will want to stop, but just give it some time. At least a few weeks. Just my 2 cents..

Hope that helps..

soyelmango · on Sept 4, 2011

Firstly, I'm not aware of how RSI is related to sitting, or how standing would alleviate RSI. RSI is due to many things: posture, positioning of mouse/keyboard, length of work/breaks, and of course, how repetitive your movements are. Given all that, standing or sitting is just a small part of RSI, and possibly the least significant factor.

If your posture is right, if your desk, mouse and keyboard are at the right height and distance, if you take regular breaks, and if you exercise your hands/fingers, then it makes little difference whether you're sitting or standing.

That said, I've recently set myself up with a standing desk – just an Ikea Fredrik. I just want to try it out for myself too, to see whether I like it. I do kung fu, and my main motivation was to practise my stance for longer periods. It's a stance similar to if you were sitting on a bar stool – that is, a few inches lower than standing straight-legged, with hip tilted straight.

That stance has taken some years for me to be able to do for more than 20-30 minutes without turning into a jelly-legged mess. If you're standing straight-legged, this won't be a consideration for you. So, I'm in reasonable shape, but by no means super fit.

This bit you add – "I'm not very used to standing and walking, and I'm afraid of being tired all the time and having back and feet pain..." – is a really important point. Don't expect to be able to just start working at your standing desk for extended periods. Go and do more walking at the very least to build up a bare minimum level of leg/back strength and stamina.

A standing desk is a great motivation to sort out your level of fitness. How long should you try the standing desk before giving up? That depends. Give yourself time to get used to it. Don't stand before you can walk (to paraphrase "don't run before you can walk").

Good luck with it, and please do report back after you've tried your standing desk for about a month. If you keep a blog, a blog post about your experience would be great.

TimSchumann · on Sept 5, 2011

The Desk in the photo of the post soyelmago linked to is an Ikea Jerker.

http://smarterware.org/7102/how-and-why-i-switched-to-a-stan...

They don't sell them anymore, but you can usually find them in good condition on Craigslist for 50 to 150 USD. I've owned 6 or 7 over the years, and as I've moved pawned them off on family and friends.

Well worth investing in, one of the best desks ever made.

On the back pain, stop wearing shoes. Both sitting and shoes are horrible for your posture. Standing should help, but odds are it's going to take a long time.

Resources for Feet http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/05/07/vibram-five-... http://lunasandals.com/ http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

Resources for Back http://stronglifts.com/lordosis-why-it-causes-lower-back-pai... http://stronglifts.com/the-reverse-crunch-get-your-six-pack-... http://ericcressey.com/why-crunches-suck http://ericcressey.com/tag/thoracic-spine-mobility http://ericcressey.com/strategies-for-correcting-bad-posture... <- Read all 4 parts of that

Remember IANAD, but all of this stuff has helped me. Take it slow, don't do anything that hurts too much.

Feel free to email me with any question, Username@gmail

Cheers!

aquark · on Sept 5, 2011

I got an adjustable standing desk a couple of months ago.

It took a little bit of getting used to, but less than I expected. At first the sit/stand ratio was around 50%, alternating every couple of hours. Now I just tend to sit if I am eating lunch or really tired. A side benefit (as someone fairly tall) is that the sitting height is about 2 inches higher than my old desk which is more comfortable too.

There was no foot pain, and I don't use a mat to stand on, but I do tend to move around a fair bit. My back pain is gone too and I've got less trouble than I've had with it in years. My general 'altertness' level has also gone up.

I'm not in great shape either (20 years in IT) though I've been starting to run more this year which has helped as well.

tluyben2 · on Sept 4, 2011

I wasn't very in shape when I started over a year ago, but it didn't take me long to get used. I do actually usually walk in place behind the desk which I find I can keep up for 5-6 hours while standing still I cannot stand long at all, still I cannot. Walking made me feel much fitter; I used to walk in place on the WII fit board with the WII on and I manage to cover quite a bit of distance doing that every day. I don't lose (or have lost) concentration and i'm not more tired; I am more thirsty though.

soyelmango · on Sept 4, 2011

Oh, and here's Gina Trapani's blog post on standing desks… http://smarterware.org/7102/how-and-why-i-switched-to-a-stan...

jason32835 · on Sept 6, 2011

It has taken me about 2 weeks to get completely used to my standing desk. Be sure to get a anti-fatiuge mat and a stool. Just sit down when you get tired, sitting on a stool isn't all that compfortable and you will naturally stand back up when you feel rested.

I couldn't be happier about making the switch. I feel more alert, less back pain, and less afternoon slump. I also recently lost about 40 lbs, but I am not in really good physical shape.

More on my switch here: http://standingdeskforum.com

r4vik · on Sept 14, 2011

I've just started doing this and my feet feel similar to how they would if I'd done a day of walking. They are slowly getting used to it now. Is there any benefit to getting a dedicated standing desk? I'm currently using a combination of a chest of drawers and the kitchen counter?

MikeCapone · on Sept 5, 2011

Thank you for your answers everybody! And thanks for the helpful links!