How-to Guide: Standing at Work
Besides stuff like tribal warfare, cannibalism, and high infant mortality, it seems like most any divergence from our ancestral norms is ultimately detrimental, or at least problematic. Nutrition is an obvious one, along with sunlight, sleep, and exercise. The mainstream media is even beginning to question the superiority of modern footwear. And then there’s the seemingly simple act of sitting down in a chair. It seems harmless, but as I discussed last year and a recent NY Times piece mentioned last month, sitting for extended periods of time is strongly linked with increased mortality and metabolic syndrome, regardless of how much exercise a sitter gets.
The chair is a bit like wheat, actually: a relative novelty to which we aren’t physiologically adapted that has become a cultural staple nonetheless. For at least eight hours each day, we twist our bodies into weird Tetris blocks with poor posture and sit, for the most part unmoving, on chairs. When you stop and think about it, sitting down in a chair for extended periods of time seems a little silly. I mean, it’s not even all that comfortable (isn’t that why we distort our bodies with terrible posture – to make sitting more comfortable?). We aren’t “designed” to sit in chairs. We’re certainly meant to stand, but we sit in chairs because we designed them to fit our anatomy, and I somehow doubt that whoever came up with the chair was thinking about long-term effects on our physiology.
Acutely, sitting weakens our muscles, especially in the legs and the hips. When you sit, your glutes are totally inactive. They aren’t being used. They’re stretched out. It’s just one big static stretch, all day long, which weakens them. Strong, engaged glutes are required for effective, natural movement. Running, walking, lifting weights – if you’re doing any of this with weak, inactive glutes from excessive sitting, you’re an injury waiting to happen. Sitting also causes permanent hip flexion. It shortens your hip flexors and makes them tight. Without good hip mobility and strength, your ability to perform the compound lower body lifts, let alone just walk around and perform day-to-day motions, is going to be severely compromised.
Besides, is sitting really all that comfortable? What are we trying to avoid here, really?
Most people just don’t know any better. Sitting down is part of our culture. Try going on a first date at a nice restaurant and waving off the chair. Try being that weird guy that stands in the movie theater, or that chronically unemployed applicant who refuses to sit down for the job interview. That guy is weird because he’s rare; he doesn’t even really exist. Sitting down is about the most uncontroversial societal expectation out there. You could have massive drag-out verbal fights over tipping or saying “bless you” or holding the door open for people, but sitting down in a chair has the wind of consensus at its back.
Which is why lobbying your boss for a stand-up workstation might be tricky, perhaps trickier even than convincing management to let you nap on the job. There’s nothing particularly objectionable about standing – it probably comes off as a bit weird or wacky – but it does require structural changes to your workstation, and changes can be expensive or time-consuming. Many of the larger companies have ergonomics teams dedicated to helping employees sit and work well. Asking them for assistance might work, but whatever you do a new desk is going to be installed and feathers will be ruffled. Sure, if they’re going to ask you to work a full day at a computer, they probably owe it to you to provide a standing workstation, but it’s not a perfect world. People will see your fancy new standing workstation as an extravagance.
“Why can’t he just sit/eat normal food/wear shoes like everyone else?”
If your boss offers resistance, you have a couple options. First, bring the data. Send an email, print out copies, whatever – just create a compendium of powerful references showing the dangers of sitting for hours on end. I’ve thrown a little something together for just such an endeavor:
Australian study (PDF) reveals sedentarism/sitting at work leads to more sitting at home, and eventually obesity. You want a healthy, vibrant workforce, don’t you?
New Zealand study shows that workers who sat for long periods of time were more likely to get deep vein thrombosis.
Excessive sitting was linked to negative metabolic and cardiovascular effects in another study.
One doctor even compared sitting to smoking cigarettes in terms of negative health effects.
Here’s that NY Times piece once again.
To round everything up, healthy employees are productive employees. Healthier employees incur lower health care costs. They miss fewer workdays. They work better, harder, and smarter when they’re at work. And workers with standing workstations are more energetic and more focused (no crippling back pain to worry about). They also take fewer breaks than sitters (PDF), which, once again, leads to greater productivity.
If your boss seems amenable, and you’re feeling cocky, slip in this final link.
Still, jobs are scarce, and employees hold few real bargaining chips these days. Your boss or your department may still balk at any additional short-term costs, even in the face of all that evidence. If that’s the case, I suggest you take matters into your own hands. Build your own. Even if your company won’t spring for a standing workstation conversion, I doubt they’ll complain if you handle it yourself.
A standing workstation doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to work.
When I work from home, for example, and I feel like standing, I just put my laptop on a stack of hardcovers sitting on the counter.
If you like to work out of cafes, you’re in luck. I find that most people in coffee shops avoid the tall tables at all costs, instead opting for cushy chairs or plush sofas, so they’re generally available. Just push the tall chair aside and work standing. Tall café tables tend to be the perfect height for standing and working.
If you’re a laptop user at work, a bunch of books from the corporate library (no one reads those – c’mon) stacked up could work in a pinch.
You could spring for one of the official standing workstations in the link above, but that’s unnecessary. I’d recommend doing what this woman did and spend $20 to build your own. She essentially bought a light baker’s rack that fit on her desk, attached some no-slip shelf paper to the bottom of the laptop, and was done with it. If you have a desktop computer, you’re going to need more room, but you don’t really need a dedicated “standing workstation.” You simply need a reliable surface at the proper height.
Whatever method you choose, just make sure you’re actually comfortable working in the position. You shouldn’t be hunched over, bent at the waist, or straining with your arms to reach the workstation. You shouldn’t be leaning on the desk for support. Standing up to work is about comfort in addition to health, and you defeat the purpose if you have to strain to make it work. Before you buy anything, test out different workstation heights. Measure the one that works and keep that measurement handy when you’re shopping or building.
If I make standing to work seem like a panacea, I don’t mean to, because there are potential problems. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety caution against prolonged static standing, which can increase the chances of “sore feet, swelling of the legs, varicose veins, general muscular fatigue, lower back pain, and stiffness.” (Check your posture if that’s the case!) But the problem isn’t standing, really; it’s standing and never moving, which probably isn’t all that different from sitting and never moving (the symptoms of both are almost identical). I’m not worried about MDA readers being inactive while standing, though. You guys’ll probably be busting out random burpees and lunges in between TPS reports and video-conferences.
Anyone use a standing workstation currently? Got any tips for newbies looking to convert? Let everyone know in the comments section!
rKnight Flickr Photo (CC)
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
I work from home and started standing years ago when I noticed my posture getting worse from slouching at my computer all day. I elevated my keyboard on a shoestand (think closetmaid stuff) and put my monitor on a taller but similar storage cabinet. Works great and not only has it helped my posture but totally cleared up my carpal tunnel. Because I stand almost all day, I am actually not comfortable sitting for long and get serious odd looks when I stand at my daughter’s sporting events – men are always offering up their chairs to me.
when you do stand and work -the ergonomics still come into play – i.e. be sure your monitor, keyboard etc are all still in the correct position for you – bend of elbows, height of wrists at keyboard, level of head to view monitor.
The ergonomics team at my work actually offered to have me be the pioneer for the treadmill work station. I went with the plain old standing desk. It’s great, but I wish I didn’t chicken out and went with the treadmill.
I started doing this a couple weeks ago and this is what I noticed
1)The keyboard and mouse need to be at about elbow level or else it’s hard on the wrist
2)Monitor needs to be in line with head
I used old phone books to prop these things up to their proper height; you don’t have to be fancy.
What I’ve noticed since:
1) My posture has improved significantly
2) My breathing is deeper
3) I move around a lot more while I’m at the computer. I do body weight squats, lunges, or wall push ups if I begin to feel stiff.
4) I don’t waste time on the computer because I don’t want to stand there all the time. When I was sitting I would be okay with sitting all the time.
P.S.
I think it would be nice to have a nice soft mat to stand on as well, but I haven’t tried this out yet.
I’ve had good luck switching from dress shoes to Crocs when I’m standing instead of getting a mat.
If you don’t mind the goofiness, all you really need are boxes, perhaps a solid tote container. At home, I’ve turned my computer desk into a stand up desk by placing the monitor on a large tote container, the keyboard on a very large box, and the mouse on top of three shoeboxes. My writing desk is simply six Avon boxes stacked in columns of two. I find this methodology to allow me to *perfectly* adjust the height of my desk; any authentic stand up desk I have seen so far has been a disappointment.
I have almost that identical setup at work! Chronic hip pain is now gone!
Oooh what about a sod covered treadmill work station!? Walking barefoot on a grass treadmill all day while working!? Sounds like a little slice of heaven.
I’ve been using a stand-up desk at work for several months, and love it. It does take some getting used to, though. At first, it wasn’t my back or legs that hurt at the end of the day… it was my feet! Now, I have a cushioned floor mat, and will often slip off my shoes and stand in my socks.
I’m fortunate to work for a small federal agency that has a very high worker satisfaction rate. The building staff completely accomodated my request-down to the precise height I wanted–and my co-workers are curious, but not in the least discouraging.
Glenn, a few weeks ago I tried a standup workstation… and I had the same experience! My lower back didn’t hurt (it does sometimes when sitting), my legs didn’t hurt, but my heels hurt like hell after a week or so! I wear “barefoot” style shoes with minimal padding, and the floor is essentially concrete covered in thin carpet. Maybe I need a cushioned floor mat too… do you have a link to something similar to what you used?
I’ve been at it for 1 1/2 years, now. Work bench from Cosco, under $300, nice solid wood top, super sturdy steel construction, and it’s long enough for both the wife & I.
Photos:
http://freetheanimal.com/2008/09/life-tweak-57.html
We do have some barstools now and I go back & forth from standing to sitting to standing.
I stand while I write (and work on the computer): I like to think on my feet!
Best,
Brent
I realize we are talking about standing at work, but I have a related question to the subject of standing vs. sitting at work. I have heard that sitting on a stability ball or a ball used for pilates will help your posture and strengthen your core muscles. Would this be an option to consider if you cannot stand at work?
Great article!
John Medina goes a bit further and suggests putting treadmills in the office. He goes into it in more detail here: http://www.nypost.com/p/item_IvjtJooZyow82YTtQmrFzN/0
Four herniated discs in my back lead me to develop my own sit-stand desk set-up. It didn’t cost my employer a penny. I just put my monitors up on the book shelf, which just happened to be at my eye level. I used an old monitor riser for my keyboard and mouse and borrowed a tall chair from our cafeteria so I can sit periodically when my feet get tired, which isn’t much anymore!! Necessity is the mother of all inventions, but it’s interesting to know that this was also a healthy choice! Considering I commute for 3 hours a day on a bus, I thought that this was a pretty good accommodation!
I enjoy standing on my BOSU ball…you know the half ball with a solid plastic platform. This gives me cushion and works my balance all day. I can also change my foot placement and stretch my calves.
What a great idea! Thanks for the tip.
What an interesting coincidence: I’ve been standing at work for about 3.5 weeks now!
I decided that if sitting for 8 hours a day wasn’t good for me, the only alternative was to stand. Luckily, I work for an incredible company, and I didn’t even bother to ask my boss before trying it out. I just harvested a few toner boxes and built a shelf for my keyboard and mouse to sit on, then elevated my monitors on another couple of boxes. It was my “trial run.”
It wasn’t pretty, but it gave me an idea what it would be like if I committed to it. The biggest problem was that the rest of my desk was a foot below my keyboard. I ended up having to make another shelf to place the things I was working on and looking at.
Then, last week, one of my co-workers took it upon himself to construct three sturdy shelves about 12.5 inches tall to sit below the three points of my L-shaped desk that touched the ground. (It was a birthday present – thanks Frank!) Three of us lifted the desk onto the platforms, and now my entire desk surface is elevated. It’s freakin’ awesome! Here’s a link to a picture:
http://www.writerscafe.net/images/standing_desk.jpg
At least two others in the company have expressed an interested in doing it themselves, one of which is also an avid MDA follower. Nobody has made fun of it. Though it comes off as a bit quirky, when people approach my desk, or stand at it like I do, they see how it could be interesting.
I keep a tall bar stool under my desk just in case I need to rest a bit, but I probably average 5-10 minutes on it per day, if at all.
All in all, I love it. Initially, the hardest part for me was the psychological aspect. For so many years, I’ve started my day by plopping into a chair. It was like the starting gunshot of my day. Strangely enough, that’s been the hardest thing to get used to.
As always, Mark, you’ve got your finger on the pulse of the new drive to be fit in all walks of life. Thanks for everything!
The picture is gone. Could you take another picture?
I’m lucky I guess. Right now I work as a baker and I’m always bustling aroundon my feet and don’t stand in one place for very long (think iron chef).
The downside is that I work nights and I work in the disgusting food industry which is everything but primal ; (
I work in an office that insists on me sitting in my chair. What is the best way to sit?
I read here http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/health/12real.html?ex=1323579600&en=232f0439ec a118c3&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss that you should recline in order to open the angle between the hips and the legs. However this creates a neck-forward position which doesn’t seem ideal either. Should I be sitting straight up or reclining?
Cheers,
Ted
Can you try kneeling and/or squatting at the desk?
I’ve started alternating my sitting periods at the desk with kneeling, and kneeling hip flexor stretches, kneeling hamstring stretches and so forth.
Regards,
Craig.
I recently raised my wooden desk at home for this very purpose!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12377946@N04/4415327350/in/pool-alphasmart
Standing in one place for long periods of time can lead to many problems as well.
It’s not as though paleo-man spent hours (or an hour) standing in one place, at least not often.
The key is variation.
Glad to see you address this. I’m fortunate to have an adjustable workstation and rarely sit. I’ve even started standing in staff meetings and gotten the evil eye from other managers as they adjust their swivelers and at Brickbreaker on their Blackberries.
Hmm…I posted a much longer thing several hours ago, but it doesn’t seem to have ever made it past the moderators.
I’ll sum it up here: I’ve been standing at work for 3.5 weeks, and love it. This was a timely post!
I guess this is one of the beneficial things about being a teacher – I’m standing and moving around all day. Since I started wearing minimalist shoes (Adidas Jawpaws… the VFF’s don’t fit and wouldn’t fly at my school anyway), I’ve noticed that I feel less tired and my hip flexors don’t hurt as much.
For the guy looking for good hip flexor stretches, stand the back of your couch. Bring a leg up “indian-style” and then lean forward over your leg. It’s a good kind of hurt!
I’m a teacher also and get to stand and move alot. But what about the kids? Mine are sitting a lot. We move from tables to “criss-cross” on the carpet a couple of times during the 2 hour reading lesson. I’ve tried letting them stand some, but they get rather unruly. Any suggestions?
Me too – I’m standing and moving around but they are just sat there falling asleep. I work in a secondary school so they’ve been conditioned for at least 7 years to just sit there – I try getting them to stand up and move around a bit and you should hear the groans. Plus they can’t still still – unsurprisingly – they’re always rocking on the backs of their chairs, tipping them up. Still I can imagine what response I’d get if I suggested we installed standing height desks for them all!
I would suggest squatting for kids. First off, they’re more flexible so don’t have much trouble getting there; and second, it keeps them from bobbing around so much the way they do on their feet or in chairs.
I’ve found whenever I’ve had to stand for a longer period than “normal” (ie. at a concert) I’ve gone home with a sore lower back afterwards. I suppose I was essentially standing in the same spot for 3 hours (I don’t dance
, but that just makes me a bit wary of the idea of standing at my workstation all day. Having said that, I am going to give it a try because I’ve got a bit of a sore hip at the moment – as a result of yesterday’s sprinting I think 
What is the sit/stand one you have in the picture?
i hate to sit but my solution to the fact that computers are basically always low is that i sit on my legs with toes touching, i find it to be sort of like an excercise stretching wise
…a few meaningless observations…and some emotional baggage…
Donald Rumsfeld proudly worked at a standing desk and used it to justify making Guantanamo detainees stand for torturously long periods.
On a personal note, back in the 90′s I suffered discrimination and retaliation at a public University, and part of the retaliation process was not being allowed to sit on the job until all my work was done–to the horizon. Funny how it left a bad taste for standing on the job.
I kindly see Grok enjoying the perfect sitting rock, or log, or ledge for hours occasionally. Maybe even Mrs. Grok had him bring the right sittin’ log home.
“Besides, is sitting really all that comfortable?”
hell yes–parking your bucket in the right seat is one fine joy–health issues aside–where this post should be.
while this would be awesome for me to have at work and prolly more beneficial for the high blood rpessure, diabetes obese people i work with, my boss would eithe fire me for bringing something like this up, or laugh in my face. he s VERY conservative and uptight.
Laugh at his Face when he gets a heart attack next time
I spent the Fall 2009 semester (16 weeks) with my computer desk raised (I used bricks and pieces of wood) so that I could stand and do my homework. It was great, but I couldn’t find an anti-fatigue mat that worked well with the way my office is designed.
Is sitting on the floor for long periods of time any healthier? Does it make a difference how the legs are positioned?
When I took Bradley childbirth classes, I learned “tailor sitting” – essentially cross-legged, or “Indian style” (now more tactfully called “criss-cross applesauce”). They teach this position for all sitting, b/c it automatically accomplishes “put your legs up” w/o forever having to be in a recliner.
I imagine that tailors and Native Americans got a reputation for doing this b/c it is the most comfy position I know of for long periods of time. At first, I thought of the pain in my back when I fold laundry on the floor, but realized the pain is from slumping while sitting cross-legged. It takes more effort to keep the lower & upper back from curling over, but the pain never comes. Pain is quick while slumping, which seems comfier at first.
I’ve been tailor sitting all the time, pregnant or no, ever since then (9 years ago). My desk chair, couch, kitchen table, restaurant booths, any time I possibly can. I homeschool, and never force my children to sit in a chair, glad they do for only a little bit each day. The oldest ones (middle school) still squat & tailor sit frequently, b/c it comes naturally when you’re not forced to sit in a chair 8hrs/day.
This site http://www.treaddesk.com has cool treadmills designed to fit under existing desks (no large control panels).
They are very popular and are on back order, but I’m saving up for one!
I suspect sitting down like the Japanese do is very good for you. I train in aikido and have noticed stronger feet and better posture from sitiing in seiza.