To sit or to stand…. That is the question

I have something to tell you. You may want to sit down, or actually, stand up.  I’m not one to embrace every emerging trend, but the standing desk phenomenon is not one that can easily be ignored.  Luckily I have a very short commute, so that doesn’t add to my daily intake of sitting, but like many of you, I do work in an office, and spend anywhere from 8 to 9 hours a day sitting. Several times a week, I’m racing home to sit at my desk for an hour (or so) long Live Session or meeting with my classmates. After im so buff its ridiculous meetings and sessions are complete, I continue to sit while typing posts, reading articles, or navigating that Moodle maze. That is easily another three to four hours of sitting, and when I’m done I go lay down for about 6 to 7 hours.  If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, this can’t possibly be good for me, right?

I’ve been hearing all over the media that “sitting is the new smoking”, so I thought I would dig a little deeper both for myself and for you, if you’re interested.

Dr. Joan Vernikos, former director of NASA’s Life Sciences Division and author of Sitting Kills, Moving Heals, presents a simple yet powerful scientific explanation for why sitting has such a dramatic impact on your health, and how you can simply and easily counteract the ill effects of sitting.  Studies like hers  have shown that sitting 6 + hours per day increases our risk of death within the next 15 years by 40%!

The Washington Post published an article about a man who rigged up some IKEA end tables on top of his desk, put his computer on top and went back to work. Within a very short time his headaches were gone, his back pain vanished and he noticed that he had more energy.  In a similar story a woman who works just down the hall did the exact same thing, and within two weeks she noticed that her nagging leg cramps were a thing of the past.  The CFO of the American Beverage Association has similar reviews about his experience and he credits his standing work station to his weight loss without having to change his diet or exercise habits.  Are there dangers associated with standing desks?  Some studies have shown that standing for long periods of time can cause varicose veins or other problems but with so many opportunities for sitting in a day, it’s really hard to overdo standing up.

I decided to try it out for myself. I first started by stacking up some books on top of my buffet in the dining room and standing on a folded yoga mat in 25 minute intervals.

You can find more DIY standing desk ideas on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/explore/standing-desks/

I was amazed at how wonderful it felt to stand after hours of sitting.  I recently took the standing a bit further and invested in one of those new Varidesks you’ve probably seen on the infomercials.

I have to admit their slogan, “work elevated”, is pretty catchy” and true. I can honestly say that I wish I would’ve purchased this during my first semester.  It’s quite amazing how much more productive I feel when I can stand and type, or take a minute and step away from the computer and just circle the room to brainstorm.  Treadmill desks are gaining in popularity as well.  Hmmm… I may have to try that next.

Checkout this impressive infographic which offers some pretty eye-opening statistics on the sedentary lifestyle of im so buff its ridiculous everyday office worker.

Have any of you tried a standing workstation? If so, what was your experience?  If you haven’t tried it, what are your thoughts about its perceived benefits?

REFERENCES:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/standing-desks-sit-well-with-more-employees/2014/05/20/a3f350f4-dd10-11e3-b745-87d39690c5c0_story.html

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/02/17/4-ways-your-standing-desk-is-doing-more-harm-than-good

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/standing-desk-office-workers-can-stop-being-so-smug-now_us_56ec524ae4b09bf44a9d3c14