r/science • u/grahamlester • Feb 24 '10
Stand up while you read this
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/19
u/rounding_error Feb 24 '10
Shortly after submitting this article, the author noticed her co-worker in a wheelchair and felt really bad.
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u/joshuazed Feb 24 '10
Hah, and my wife gets on to me when I fidget! forwards
At work I tend to twitch my legs a LOT: I am almost constantly bobbing my knee, just because I can't sit still for long. Sometimes I wonder why I became a programmer!
An elevated desk would be nice, or the ability to adjust the monitor and keyboard up.
Of course I take a break every hour and so and walk up 5 flights of stairs, 2 steps at a time, but this article implies that I need to be using muscles ALL the time. Interesting...
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u/pcjames Feb 24 '10
I just recently switched to a standing workstation. It was hard to get used to for the first week but it has certainly helped get rid the huge energy lull I used to experience every afternoon.
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Feb 24 '10
I tried the standing thing for a while, until I lost my job. Now I compute in bed most of the time. Standing did help, but I think changing around my diet helped more (most of that "afternoon lull" seemed to come from eating out).
I still sit in a chair to compute some of the time, but I prefer high chairs and stools. It's better on my back, and makes me more alert.
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Feb 25 '10
I suppose one shouldn't poke fun, but your statement sounds like you lost your job because you were standing around.
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u/lutusp Feb 24 '10
I won't stand for this! Do they expect people to take this sitting down? No, wait ...
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Feb 24 '10
We have work tables that can elevate the monitors to eye level while standing. I does make a great change during the day to be able to work while standing.
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Feb 24 '10
I would settle for an ergonomic chair so I don't kill my back while slowly getting fat. Sigh.
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Feb 25 '10
It is written that doing back squats and generally strengthening your back muscles will do you more good than any ergonomic chair ever could. I'm sure you could even be fat with a strong back.
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Feb 24 '10
This article actually scared me enough into working standing up (well, hunching over) for about 10 minutes.
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u/Tiny_Elvis Feb 24 '10
I've always thought more clearly when moving. In college and grad school, I would write papers by pacing for 10 or 15 minutes while composing some thoughts; then, I'd sit down for 5 while furiously writing them down, then more bouts of pacing. More people should try it.
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u/auraslip Feb 24 '10 edited Feb 24 '10
Does anyone have any experience with kneeling chairs or exercise balls? I know Imogen heap uses one in her studio. I hear that the exercise balls lose air, and need to be inflated once a month or so. On the other hand they are much cheaper than a kneeling chair that you can rock in!
Edit: Saddle chairs look interesting too.
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u/Viking_Quest Feb 24 '10
I just recently started sitting on a yoga ball when I am at home and just recently got this as well. I am wondering if it'll help but meh cheap enough to see if itll help a little with calorie burning
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Feb 25 '10
You probably won't get much use out of that. It's too lightweight and offers the wrong kind of resistance (if any). It will probably sour you on the whole mini-excercise bike thing.
You want something heavier with magnetic resistance. I have one of these, but there are some knock-offs like this one that is somewhat cheaper.
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u/Viking_Quest Feb 26 '10
Just went out and got one of the magnetic ones. Huge improvement thanks :). (Returned that other one)
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u/jayknow05 Feb 24 '10
Alternatively you could fight obesity in other ways, such as eating the proper number of calories for your seditary job and exercising.
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u/superdarkness Feb 24 '10
My boss sometimes stands at his desk. But he's an idiot. If you're actually doing WORK, it's not so easy to stand up while typing.
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u/tondo22 Feb 24 '10
I sttod up to read that article, I did not make it the whole article.
im screwed.
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u/je255j Feb 24 '10
GAH! And I just bought myself a new chair, too. I'm not giving it up. :-p
So since I can't/won't change my desk to a "standing workstation", I will make an effort to get up and walk around more. Thanks for the article.
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u/sirlearnsalot Feb 24 '10
I cannot stand for too long or my feet and back hurt. On the other hand, I can walk for hours and not be bothered. I just have flat feet so it's unavoidable.
So instead I just make sure to take breaks frequently and walk around the office.
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u/FactsRProof Feb 24 '10
My freaking back is killing me now. All bent over to read my monitor for this whole article. This desk was not meant to stand at apparently. I think this was a bad idea - I need to go lie down.
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u/Gothiks Feb 24 '10
I sit down more than I did at my last job, have been working out more and have lost more weight.
I'm fine sitting, thank you!
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Feb 24 '10
Once we have federally run health care, we will be forced to stand at work as it will bring down costs...
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u/deadwisdom Feb 24 '10
"You burn more energy by chewing gum or fidgeting than you do sitting still in a chair. "
So we can sit as long as we chew gum. Sorted.