There's been a lot of talk about how standing at your desk is better for you. That NYTimes opinion piece brings up some interesting things to think about. We writers and editors sit on our tookuses for hours at a time. We're either writing, reading, or "doing research" (aka playing Angry Birds or looking at Icanhazcheezburger cats).
And we snack. And drink coffee. And eat lunch at our desks (which is also supposed to be a big no-no--crumbs in your keyboard begone!).
Because I have adjustable legs on my desk (I have to because I'm really short), I thought, "Why not make it a standup desk and see if there's any noticable difference?"
I sit and stand and sit and stand rotating throughout the day. I think if I had a flat surface to stand on instead of living room carpet, I might like it more. But my legs and ankles strain in funny ways. I tried standing on a piece of wood, but then I'm lifted higher than my desk, which causes awkward keyboarding and mousing (I'm at the maximum height for my legs). It's about a 3/4" difference with the board, so it makes a huge difference when typing.
All in all, I like standing. When I feel fatigue, I sit on a barstool-height chair. When I feel like I'm slouching or when my ass gets numb, I stand up. I can stretch, stand on one leg, rotate my stiff ankle and still surf the web.
It also makes it a lot easier to go for more coffee.
Here are some other links to standup desk setups: Standing Desk Jockey, DiY platform for desktop
Comments