Standing While Working Results in Better Work? 166
Bamafan77 asks: "I've recently become fascinated by the idea of standing while working. I've found that I'm much more productive for
longer periods of time while standing as opposed to sitting. The best way to describe it is that my brain feels more 'engaged.' Apparently, many famous people feel the same way including Thomas Wolfe, Vladimir Nabokov, and Winston Churchill. Other benefits include a better ability to control weight. (Guess what? Your slow metabolism ain't the cause for that belly). The Mayo Clinic has gone so far as to do research into a treadmill workstation. Does anyone here have experiences to share when it comes to standing while working, especially in the IT field?"
hamster image (Score:4, Insightful)
Walking Desk (Score:2, Interesting)
It's surprisingly good for some things. I bought a treadmill off Craigslist and added a sheet of wood where I can put my laptop. I really like it for reading and replying to email and reading stuff on the web. For things where I have to type a lot, 1.5 mph plus or minus seems good. For pure reading, I'll go up to 3.3 mph if I'm feeling peppy.
It's specially nice first thing in the morning when I'm still a little grogg
Standing is NOT a good idea. (Score:4, Insightful)
Mainly : the problem of venal blood return and venal stasis.
In short : your feet swell because the heart has a hard time pumping the blood back up all this height.
Just ask a surgeon (or any other job where one must stay standing up without moving a lot).
Walking may improve the blood flow (the muscle may act as supplementary pumps, because veins have valves).
But on the other hand it puts a lot of strains on the muscle of the lower extremities.
Most of the sportives (typical persons who work by moving in an upright position) have knee aging prematurely.
And I think most slashdotter know the problems associated with a sitting position.
Hence : there's no "perfect" position for working.
One should mainly change between them a lot, go for a walk once in a while, etc...
Re:Standing is NOT a good idea. (Score:2)
Walking does? That seems very strange to me. I've been told all my life that we're designed primarily to walk, and my own experience (WARNING: anecdote ahead) suggests that walking is easier on the body than sitting, standing, running, bicycling (per hour, not per mile traveled) climbing, laying down, etc etc.
SORRY SORRY SORRY, Typo. (Score:3, Interesting)
NOT for the muscle, sory. Was tired. Puts strain on your *joints*.
/.er adding some small walks to their usual job isn't bad.
If you must walk the whole day non-stop for your job, your knee may get worn more quickly. (medical nurse and some military personnal come to mind). But then, again that's in the perspective of a job composed of non-stop working.
For the typical
From a biomechanic point of view, laying is the less stringent position. But you still need to move
Re:Standing is NOT a good idea. (Score:2)
Mainly : the problem of venal blood return and venal stasis.
In short : your feet swell because the heart has a hard time pumping the blood back up all this height.
On the contrary, your feet swell when you are sitting for long hours. Ask anyone who spends lots of time sitting on an airplane. Walking actually *AIDS* the blood moving back up toward the heart through the muscles squeezing the veins and the valves preven
Re:Standing is NOT a good idea. (Score:2)
It's not the blood circulation that gets the primary benefit from walking, it's lymph circulation. Because of the increased pressure in your legs, fluid escapes from your blood vessels, where it is collected by your lymphatic system and c
They say Donald Rumsfeld works this way... (Score:5, Funny)
Donald Rumsfeld (Score:3)
And... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:And... (Score:1)
Then, after a few weeks, maybe a few months depending on your body type and how overweight you are, you'll wonder what the hell you ever sat down for.
Granted, during your standing sessions it is recommended that you move around, take frequent walks, etc. But overall I think you'll feel better and, yes, even lose weight. And you'll most likely get more work done.
TLF
Re:And... (Score:2)
By that analysis, a schoolteacher who almost never sits down and is always running around the classroom should never be heavy except by overeating, and I know a few schoolteachers who eat so healthy they make vegetarians look bad, and who eat so little that they make anorectics look like pigs (and I know they don't just binge all weekend or anything, so
Re:And... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:And... (Score:5, Insightful)
Perhaps you haven't had your workstation set up right. I suppose I am lucky: though I do development work in an ugly gray cube-land, my company pays an ergonomist to come in and measure people and adjust their workstations (keyboard tray and countertop height, chair position, etc.), the idea being that paying disability for folks with RSI and such is way more expensive than having the ergonomist in for a visit whenever we hire someone new.
Anyway, the point: I told the ergonomist six years ago that I wanted a stand-up cubicle, with a high chair I could pop up onto if I wanted to sit. My cube's counters got raised, its shelves went down near the floor, a new chair arrived (a pretty cheap one actually, but I don't spend much time on it)... and voila. I usually stand and type comfortably for the better part of an hour; then I'll hop up on the chair for ten or fifteen minutes max. (The chair is adjusted such that I don't have to raise/lower the keyboard tray when I move from standing to sitting.)
This works really well for me. My wrists don't hurt anymore, and neither does my lower back. (True, this may have a lot more to do with good ergonomics than it does with standing versus sitting.) I feel engaged with my work when I am standing. If I sit for too long, I either wanna slouch (which makes me wanna take a nap), or I get fidgety. No thanks, I'll stand.
Walter Murch and IKEA (Score:2)
Re:Walter Murch and IKEA (Score:2)
I've got a Jerker arranged for lab-stool height, and it's great. Best part is the erector-set construction makes it easy to add hooks, shelves, wire-racks, outlet strips, etc.
My job. (Score:5, Interesting)
Anyway, the point is, my job entails a lot of walking. Like, a lot. I routinely walk 12 miles per day during my 12 hour shifts. More than that even. But, sometimes, I sit. And when I sit, I get tired. And time slows down. And it generally gets pretty tough to handle.
So when there's nothing to do, I play janitor. Mopping the floors of a billion dollar facility is actually not too bad, considering the alternative (just sitting there waiting for time to pass).
TLF
Re:My job. (Score:2, Interesting)
It actually sucks somewhat, because I sit and write code for a living. I've been fighting the sensation with coffee, but I have a feeling that's not the best long-term answer. I wonder if I've altered my glucose metabolism or something...?
(OT: Slow Down Cowboy! It's been 43 minutes since you last successfully posted a comment)
How about fixing
Re:My job. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:My job. (Score:2)
Cheers,
-l
Re:My job-Back in the day. (Score:2)
So ... (Score:1, Funny)
MIcrosoft.... innovating again.
Warehouses are a good example of this (Score:1, Interesting)
I prefer to sit down (Score:5, Funny)
What, you meant real work? Well...ok...
Standing is good (Score:3, Interesting)
Hemingway (Score:3, Funny)
Of course, then he offed himself, so maybe this isn't such a good idea...
Same effect as walking periodically? (Score:1)
I suppose thats more of an endorsement for circling around the office occasionally while at work - but perhaps standing is a similar idea.
It would make sense that perhaps while you're at your m
trying to picture it (Score:3, Interesting)
It feels the other way around, like I wouldn't be able to concentrate that deeply.
Being able to relax seems to be important to concentrate on something specific, even lying down sounds like I'd be more concentrated.
Retail (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Retail (Score:1)
-Irritability is resolved by state of mind. Customers can be a bitch, but the more levelheaded you are the better you'll be in the long run.
Re:Retail (Score:2)
I'm already a convert... (Score:5, Interesting)
I ordered two nice Hon drafting chairs and expected to wind up sitting in them as I had a regular desk chair in the past.
I soon found though, that it was much more convenient and comfortable to just forego the chairs and work standing up. I discovered that I didn't get tired from standing at all, and in fact felt more awake and alert as a result. There's also the nice side benefit that without chairs, people don't really tend to come and camp out in my office
Last year, I was diagnosed with a herniated disc in my lower back. This is where the working-standing-up plan really pays off. I quickly discovered that when I sit, the pain is worse. After sitting awhile, it's a *lot* worse. The doctor explained that this is because sitting puts the more pressure on your disc than laying or standing. In fact, standing seems to be the most neutral position for your back and relieves more pressure on the disc than other positions. So if you have back problems - working while standing could mean the difference between working or not. I know it has for me on many days.
So to those who haven't tried working while standing up - I highly recommend it. I believe the health benefits are strong and the impact on your mental processes is positive.
Re:I'm already a convert... (Score:1)
Standing transfers the pressure from your lower back to your feet. I suggest you follow proper ergonomics for standing [bnl.gov] if you choose a standing office. Having worked in warehouses with concrete floors for over 20 years, good shoes [redwingshoes.com] are imperative. Else you will just tran
Re:I'm already a convert... (Score:2)
Oh, hell ya. I've worked movie production for the last 23 years, and between the concrete floors of most stages and going on location where I'm constantly jumping down from lift gates carrying heavy equipment, good foot wear is absolutely essential. Very early in my career, I had major problems with shin splits and my feet. I asked a number of experienced people what they did, and found that there are a lot of sol
Re:I'm already a convert... (Score:2)
Do you think it's at all possible the standing had anything to do with the disc, though? I don't know anything about such maladies, so just wanted to ask.
Re:I'm already a convert... (Score:3, Insightful)
Sore Feet? (Score:1)
Walking (Score:2, Interesting)
no (Score:2)
Re:no (Score:3, Funny)
Re:no (Score:2)
Re:no (Score:2)
Adjustable Tables (Score:2)
Back when everyone was doing drafting and design on tables and not on display screens, work was done with two or more surfaces; the most important one was always adjustable for angle and often for height and light source. Even back in those 18th, 19th and 20th centuries employers knew how to make demanding, technical work a bit more comfortable.
Overall it is effective (Score:2, Interesting)
Amazing (Score:2)
Re:Amazing (Score:2)
"Walk your code" (Score:2, Insightful)
or in other words'
I have a standing height desk (Score:2)
At my (cupertino based) employer I think pretty much everyone gets the option to have a standing or sitting configuration in their cubicle/office.
Re:I have a standing height desk (Score:2)
Higher office temperatures also help (Score:2)
Study links warm offices to fewer typing errors and higher productivity
When the office temperature in a month-long study increased from 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, typing errors fell by 44 percent and typing output jumped 150 percent. Hedge's study was exploring the link between changes in the physical environment and work performance.
"The results of our study also suggest raising the temperature to a more comfortable thermal zone saves employers about $2 per worker, per hour," says Hedge, who presented hi
Re:Higher office temperatures also help (Score:2)
Perfect sense (Score:2)
On the opposite side, standing does not always make you do a good job. "I stand for 8-10 hours a day," wrote Donald Rumsfeld.
Re:Perfect sense (Score:2)
Standing does make you feel productive (Score:3, Insightful)
What happens is that you find that you focus a lot less on the screen all the time, you find yourself walking around a lot more, you make more cups of tea/coffee and it feels more productive. The only problem was that you can't really jump into the standing thing straight away, especially when you've been used to sitting at a desk for years. The other problem is if you get tired you tend to lean on your forearms like leaning on a bar.
The other thing I really liked about the standing desks is that they had bi-fold doors directly behind you which looked out onto an atrium with a large tree full of birds for most of the year. You could stop typing, phase out of the work at hand and listen to life for a bit. It was awesome during summer when you get the warm light rain, with the door open, coffee and maybe light music on in the background.
Re:Standing does make you feel productive (Score:2)
Typing? (Score:3, Insightful)
Just wait till your boss finds out (Score:2)
My old job had both; I preferred standing (Score:2)
While working in the lab I would usually stand up while waiting for questions, and when asked continue to stand next to the student, whereas in appointments the student and I would both be sitting at the same table. I found that
My standing desk... (Score:3, Funny)
Hawthorne Effect (Score:5, Insightful)
The only thing I have against standing is that I have to find a counter or something of similar height that functions as a work surface - otherwise, i'm hunched over and a sore back is a real productivity killer....
For carpal tunnel reasons, I stand when I work (Score:1)
standing employees sets managers' minds at ease (Score:1)
Want good work done? Hire good people and keep them happily motivated about their job. Sitting, standing, hopping on one leg, it won't matter. They'll do you p
Re:standing employees sets managers' minds at ease (Score:2)
If you're too lazy to read the ref above, Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of the tendons on the bottom of your feet. Beat the soles of your feet with a 2x4 for about 15 minutes and you'll get an idea of what my feet feel like every day.
Having said
Re:standing employees sets managers' minds at ease (Score:2)
But that costs money, while making people stand while working is cheap, and lets the management show to stockholders that they are doing something.
In the end, managers and stockholders are quite similar to politicians and voters. Short-sighted trend-following with absolutely no concern for actual results in the long run at best case and out
I like it. (Score:2)
Computer pioneer Prof. Donald Knuth does it ... (Score:3, Informative)
Stand Up Meetings (Score:3, Informative)
As for spending all day in one position here's what I rekon:
If you spend 10+ hours a day sitting on your arse then you'll probably get a sore arse.
If you spend 10+ hours a day standing on your feet then you'll probably get sore feet.
If you spend 10+ hours a day standing on your head then you should probably seek help.
Go the middle way. spend some time sitting, some time standing and some time dancin' like a funky chicken.
Good every now and then... (Score:2)
It's great to get the blood circulation going, and it's really hard to fall asleep when you are standing up.
Rather hard to imagine... (Score:2)
And of course I get lots of good ideas and such while walking, but when I get something that requires deeper thought, I stop. On threadmill - crash, bang, kaboom, you know the drill from commedy movies. Again, sucks. Plus walking in one place sucks. I'd much rather go for a walk in the far, rural suburbs
Re:Rather hard to imagine... (Score:2)
All you have to do is invest the time required to learn to type on a Twiddler, and then get any kind of wearable (or laptop in a backpack) and head-mounted display you want.
Re:Rather hard to imagine... (Score:2)
Good voice recognition systems could do the trick I think...
Re:Rather hard to imagine... (Score:2)
I've had personal experience with the Twiddler, and I know a few people that are proficient in using it (in particular, this guy [gatech.edu]) and I know for a fact that they have no trouble typing on it while not only thinking, but carrying on a conversation! Granted, Dr. Starner is the very definition of an "expert user," but still...
I've also used Dasher, and I agree that it's definitely not possible to use it productively (probably because you have to watch what it's doing and use fine motor control in an analog ki
Re:Rather hard to imagine... (Score:2)
Re:Rather hard to imagine... (Score:2)
Glad I could help! Incidentally, this mailing list [haven.org] is a good place to ask any questions you might have.
Honestly, I liked it. (Score:2)
Honestly, it wasn't so bad. At the end of the day, sure my feet and legs hurt a bit more, but after a few weeks even that did not occur. And i did not feel at all as metnally tired as I would from simply sitting down.
So maybe programming while standing isn't such
coworkers look at me funny (Score:2)
Good for keep meetings short and to the point ! (Score:2)
Who would have thought that... (Score:2)
OMG WTF LOL (Score:2)
Dubbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbd! Speedy Gonzalez!
When did it become ok for anyone to write like this?
Friggin' Cubes (Score:2)
Motion creates emotion (Boiler Room) (Score:2)
Affleck was the bomb in Boiler Room. That speech he gave in that movie might be the highlight of his career.
tried at home (Score:2)
Re:tried at home (Score:2)
Re:tried at home (Score:2)
Re:tried at home (Score:2)
That comfort factor is usually also the same thing that causes people to have bad posture. With a stool, you have to hold yourself upright (since it doesn't have a back) while in a chair you tend to slouch.
I took a stand (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm definitely more alert and not so sluggish during the day, especially after lunch. The first couple of weeks after I transitioned from sitting to standing I realized how many muscles there are in my back and legs. Actually, the first few days were brutal since I didn't get my stool until about 3 weeks after transitioning. I'm not grossly out of shape or anything and I work out as often as I can, but I had no idea how many muscles it takes to actually stand up for long periods like that. Of course I'm acclimated now so it's no big deal. If you can get over those first few days without giving up then it's great.
The biggest beneift that I've noticed is that my neck and back don't hurt anymore. I've been sitting in front of a desk for 7+ years and the main reason I started thinking about a stand-up desk (aside from the other 6 people here that have them now) was the aches and pains I had from poor posture. I had a comfy oversize leather office chair and I got lazy and had terrible posture. I would slouch during the day, rest my head on the back of the chair and work, etc. To make matters worse, I had to keep the chair rather low to get the arms to fit under my desk that was already elevated on blocks. I'm tall, about 6-4 so all of that added up to bad posture and pain.
After moving to the stand-up desk, I haven't had any shoulder, neck, or back pain - none. The key to that I think is that I took custom measurements of myself. Since I made my own desk I was able to custom make it to fit me. I took measurements so that I would be in a natural, comfortable position when I was typing and working. The downside to that is that the drafting stool is ever so slightly short when I do try to sit and work, but it's not for long periods so it doesn't bother me. People ask me if I find it hard to code or type for long periods while standing. I haven't had any trouble, but again I custom fit my desk to me.
Overall, I feel much better physically and I'm not as tired and sluggish as I used to be throughout the day and even at home. For me it works - I definitely notice healthful benefits. I don't think I'd ever go back to a sit-down desk for work.
The best advice I can give to someone moving to a stand-up desk is this: Wear comfy shoes, get an anti-fatigue mat, and have the desk custom fit if at all possible. If you can make your own then do it.
win-win (Score:2)
I've had a standing desk for a few months (Score:2)
My legs are tired at the end of the day, but it's not significant. Also, my feet get a little sore sometimes, but shifting how I stand, or taking off my shoes (when I can get away with that) fixes it.
But I'm not really standing still at my desk; I shift aro
Height Adjustable Desks (Score:2)
Applies to Church, Too (Score:2)
How wierd you just ask.... (Score:2)
Observations so far:
Burning more calories. I'm definitly warmer all day long
Oh my lord I'm so alert. Not a bit of tiredness/zoning, even on the night I only got 5 hours sleep.
The commute home now feels good, so I don't mind the traffic near as much (relaxation of the legs)
Better gas mileage (My legs are tired, so I use my cruise control more).
Leg muscles right above the knees are tired (Getting better already).
Easier to leave my desk: Rather than consid
Standing while on the phone (Score:2)
For those that still don't want to stand all day, see if you can get a small but comfortable other chair in your office -- maybe one of those big cushy ones. If you need to sit but are not typing -
Standing (Score:2)
Great (Score:2)
I want a TALL backed stool, and a drafting-style table. Like an old-time mechanical engineer.
Lame for the sitters (Score:5, Funny)
I sit next to a guy with a stand-up cubicle. The walls of the cubicles are about four feet tall so all day long there's this guy's head looking down on me. He's also a loud talker on the phone so there is a loud phone talking head staring at me all day long.
Have I mentioned his sneezing, coughing and his constant eating of corn nuts? So I have a loud phone talking, coughing, sneezing, corn nut breath head leering at me 8-10 hours a day.
Oh! and he's also a mouth breather.
Re:Lame for the s(h)itters (Score:2)
Re:Lame for the sitters (Score:2)
Re:Lame for the sitters (Score:2)
and bald.
Re:Sit down but still get that heart pumping! (Score:2)
I tried working from a verticle excercise bike for awhile (i.e., the kind that looks more like a standard bicycle). The seat was too uncomfortable, no matter what I did, but your kind of bike would solve that. Also, it was just too hard to concentrate while pedaling. Either my mind or the pedaling would slow to crawl.
Re:Organize meetings walking (Score:2)
I've never held a formal walking meeting, although I've certainly attended meetings that have included walking across a campus to a coffee house and back again as a group mid-meeting. We naturally tend to break up into small groups of three and four people each.
It seems to me trying to talk to more then four or five people while walking as a group is almost impossible. Four people can walk in two rows along most sidewalks and still converse in a normal speaking voice. Once you hav