Standing desks are all the rage.
I just don’t get it.
I know- sitting is the new smoking so they say…and I’m not saying that sitting for eight hours a day is good for you, but really, is standing for eight hours a day any better?
I did not do scientific research about this- I’m sure there are thousands of articles and statistics that support standing desks, and I’m sure there are an equal amount of studies and stats the say the exact opposite. That’s the nature of anything- one group says A while another says Z. It’s not so much a right or wrong, just different studies and different ways to look at something…
But logically…
Shouldn’t everything be a balance?
If sitting all day isn’t good, is doing the exact opposite the right course of action?
From personal experience, my Dad had a job that made him be on his feet all day. You know what it did for him? Varicose veins, foot issues and heart issues. Standing put too much stress on his body. Sitting a bit might have been better for him.
What if you stand all day but have poor posture? Is that a plus or a minus?
Is good health about more than a decision to stand or sit?
If you stand all day but smoke, how healthy are you?
If you sit and take a five minute walk every hour, how unhealthy are you?
Stand and do no other exercise?
Sit but work out regularly with weights and separate cardio?
Isn’t healthy an all around life style?
What do you think about the standing desk phenomena? Do you think it’s a fad like those kneeling chairs? (remember those? It was supposed to be better to kneel when doing work)
Or do you think it’s an effective tool to use towards a healthy lifestyle?
Discuss:
Waking up on the Wrong Side of 50 
Everything in balance. The funny thing: my work helped pay for a standing riser, but every time I try to use it my monitors come close to falling! So, I really don’t use it all that much. Ugh!
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I can’t help but wonder if it’s a fad…
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I’ve got a sit/stand desk. It’s electric so you just press a couple of buttons and it goes up…or down and everything in between. I think they’re the best. A little noisy but no varicose veins.
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How much do you sit vs stand?
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I sit mostly. Though when I first got it several years ago it was more 50/50
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So you’ve found the balance?
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I found the notion intriguing, and so I read a couple of articles about it that seem to agree: “Standing has a significantly larger impact on our longevity than sitting. Some health benefits to standing include greater muscle activation; higher levels of sugar burning; improved insulin sensitivity and long-term heart health benefits,” from https://fortune.com/well/2022/12/30/health-benefits-of-standing-vs-sitting/
But, like you said, standing comes with its own side effects. Balance seems to be a fantastic word!
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Such an interesting article. 3 hrs a day standing…good to know.
This part spoke to me “Standing can help fight neural aging issues like medial temporal lobe deterioration, which is the area of the brain that houses memory.”
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I think balance is the right idea. I don’t think our knees were meant to hold our weight 8 hours a day without a break
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I agree. There needs to be a balance between the two. Plus your feet…can you imagine foot issues? Especially as many don’t wear properly fitting shoes…
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Interesting. I didn’t realize the standing craze was really still a thing. Looking back in every job I’ve ever had it’s always been a mix, but then I’ve never really been a desk/job person either. I was always up and down, walking through clinics and hospitals, standing to teach or through procedures…even when I cashiered in high school I was up but had desk duties as well. I couldn’t sit all day for sure. The last job was a perfect mix I think- desk work to open and close the day but standing/walking/pushing my computer and equipment up and down the corridors. Guess I’m a balance person!
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I think it needs to be balance. Doing anything repetitively is going to be trying on the body
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As others have mentioned, I think a balance is important. Evolutionary, we evolved to hunt, forage, and engage in all kinds of calisthenic movements. I don’t think standing or sitting in the same position all day are natural or healthy. That being said, I prefer sitting in an ergonomic chair. When I stand too long, I get light headed… and frankly, am more tempted to walk away from my work and go do something else. 😂
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All good points. I think people get restless when standing and their posture shifts. I can’t imagine doing a zoom meeting while standing. I would fidget and lose focus
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I use use a stand-up desk, but also with a chair. Standing helps my back and other parts – to a point. So I alternate between the two for comfort. Other exercise is also important.
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I think alternating is the way to go. I don’t think it’s an all in situation. Ask anyone who must stand for a job how they feel at the end of the day
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Oh, I’ve been there!
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Ah, the standing thing was people getting tired of sitting. Same when they came out with the idea of working while walking/running on the treadmill. Everyone just trying to make 8 hours go by without being in just one position the entire day. A little bit of this, a little bit of that.
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Yep, it’s all about balance. Having worked retail, the standing on your feet for 8hrs a day is an issue all its own. Teaching classical guitar 6 hours 5 days a week is a ‘seated’ issue all its own. In both scenarios, I’d take breaks to balance whichever work situation I was/am in.
Remember those big bouncy balls they pushed as being ‘balance seating’ for work at the desk? Now that was a fad that also **looked** like a fad!
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Yeah. My dad was a pharmacist. Being in his feet for years was not good for any part of his body
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I agree sitting or standing for hours on end can both be bad for you. You have to find ways to break it up. And no, I don’t think a standing desk is the answer.
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My son works standing but that is because he hurt his back and it hurts to sit. I agree with finding balance. I sit while I write, but I do take walking breaks or standing breaks all day long.
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I totally agree about a balance between standing and sitting. My mom was a waitress for about 40 years. She has a lot of trouble walking now. My workplace has a desk that we can sit at or press a button and voila, we can stand. I like being able to choose. But I find it more comfortable to sit and work. I just try to get up and move around as much as possible.
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I stood 8+ hours a day, 6 days a week for 16 years = ouch. Now I sit (while at work) for 9+ hours a day, 5 days a week and have developed a pinch nerve in my leg so it feels like it is on fire. Balance is the solution. Thus I slouch now, almost a perfecr 45 degree angle. LOL
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I like to mix it up but I don’t have an official standing desk at home or work. Standing for too long is definitely not good for you. I don’t remember kneeling chairs – that’s too much! It’s all about lifestyle as you said.
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I think the idea of a sit/stand desk is to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. We have had them in our office for years and I quite enjoyed the opportunity to stand up and move around from time to time during the day.
Now that I’m working from home full time, I have a wireless headset that achieves the same thing. I stand up and move when I’m on calls rather than sitting at my desk.
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I am not a fan of stand-up desks. As a writer, I believe I need to sit to write! I used to teach high school so most of my day involved standing in a classroom. On my breaks in between classes I like to sit but some of the teachers had those stand up desks. I thought they were crazy! Now I sit and write a lot so I make sure I get outside and walk a few miles every day. Balance, as you say! Hugs, C
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Most people at my job that use standing desks have back problems.
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If there is one thing I cannot stand it is standing around all day. really.
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My husband and I have been talking a lot about pendulum swings. America seems to be really good at them, without thinking about the consequences of the swing.
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Right? We jump on something as being the “right” way without thinking it out
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Personally, I can sit for a lot longer than I can stand. But ideally, I would like the option to do both. And for office workers, I think the smartest thing is to take a stroll up and down the hallways now and then, and/or go for a brisk walk at lunch.
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Agreed. Getting up to walk is fine, and I think needed
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Everything in balance,as you said.
Everything in moderation. Including moderation.
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👍
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I love my standing desk and since I spend so much time sitting at my desk.
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I stand at my job at least 6 to 6-1/2 hours/day, 5 days a week, and in a couple of weeks, I’m cutting it down to 5 to 5-1/2 hours/day, 5 days a week because I’m just too damn exhausted. I used to sit too much, so I do appreciate moving about more during the day, but I agree that balance is definitely the key!
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👍👍
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How great is it that I just happen to be standing at my non-standing desk when reading this?
I can neither sit nor stand for long periods of time comfortably. I think it’s all about balance. At CenturyCo, I had a pretty slick electronic standing desk but only used it for brief periods at a time. I think you’re just as well off taking a walk around the block every couple of hours as standing for long periods of time.
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I think a quick walk once an hour is better for mind and body
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Always better to be outside anyway!
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