Sit/Stand desk

Romberger42
Romberger42 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Last week I received a sit/stand desk. I'm looking for any advice. Is it worth it or just a fad with no support for using it? What is the best way to acclimate to it? Should I be working up to standing all day?

Replies

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I'm looking forward to reading the replies, I would like a sit/stand desk :smile:
  • ValeriePlz
    ValeriePlz Posts: 517 Member
    I've been using a standing desk for about a year now. My office won't get you a standing desk without a medical waiver, so I just set one up with some boxes. I love it!

    My advice: get a foot pad or your feet will hurt, be sure to sit periodically (standing all day can be bad for your lower back, so many articles recommend doing a mix), and stand with a broad-ish stance so you don't lean into your hips.
  • Slashnl
    Slashnl Posts: 339 Member
    I have a sit/stand desk. It takes a while to get used to it and for a while, I thought that I didn't get as much done when I was standing. Ha! But now, it is nice to have the option. I talked to a physical therapist about it one time when I was getting treatment for a different issue, and he said that standing all day isn't the best idea either, because you tend to lose your posture and that puts pressure on your back and hips. I think he is right because we do have a guy in our office who stands all the time, but I've seen him lean on the desk quite often.

    For me, I usually stand for an hour, then sit for an hour, back and forth. It is nice to vary from just sitting nonstop!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I think whether it is "worth it" depends on why you're using it. I've been using one for about a year and a half now and I have noticed that my back pain is almost completely gone (I didn't have significant issues, just a sore back at the end of the working day). It also seems like it keeps me more alert and my overall energy is better, but that is harder to quantify.

    I don't do it for any sort of calorie burn -- from what I have read, it's relatively minor.
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    I have one - actually managed to get a medical waiver from a chiropractor. I stand for maybe a third of the day, because I can't really do a lot of analysis when standing up. It's fantastic for repetitive tasks, though, so I use it for specific tasks and sit for others. That helps delineate when I should be standing and when I should be sitting. It's good to shift your weight from one leg to the other from time to time. Some times I set a chair under one knee or the other and kind of stand like a flamingo... but it really helps to stretch out the quads/flexors, especially since they get scrunched from sitting all the time. I also listen to music when standing up so I end up dancing quite a bit which helps with not having constant lower back pressure.

    I second the mat. Get one.
  • Mrsrobinsoncl
    Mrsrobinsoncl Posts: 128 Member
    We have sit/ stand desks and I love them!! Some days I stand all day and some days I sit a good portion of it, but it is so nice to have a choice. I have a lot less back and neck pain when I stand more, or at least break up the sitting.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,068 Member
    From what I've read the calorie burn from standing vs sitting is minimal - some, but not a lot of difference. That being said, I love mine. I don't stand for long hours, but generally for an hour or two a day and I do things like calf raises, balancing on my bad leg, etc. Nothing that I count against my daily activity, but just little things that keep me a tad bit more active :) Plus it's a nice variance from sitting on my butt all day LOL.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    I have one. I love it. Some days I sit more than stand and vice versa. When I am busy I have a tendency to stand almost the whole time. I just get antsy sitting too much so this allows me much more ability to fidget about.
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
    I used to cashier and stand 8 hours a day and I hated it- my feet and back hurt. Maybe if you can go back and forth it would work.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Romberger42 wrote: »
    Last week I received a sit/stand desk. I'm looking for any advice. Is it worth it or just a fad with no support for using it? What is the best way to acclimate to it? Should I be working up to standing all day?

    Worth it in what way? They've been around for quite a long time. I'd love one because my herniated disk bothers me when I sit too much.
  • mrsloganlife
    mrsloganlife Posts: 158 Member
    I have a rising desk so I can decide whether to sit or stand. I have it permanently in the stand position with a bar stool at my desk. My co-workers giggle because it is not surprising to see me on a call with a client, talking to them, and then randomly do squats or calf raises (guys I have mastered the ability to not deep breath into the phone haha). For me, I like I have the ability to stand and sit when I want, plus doing squats at the desk. It is to the point where I prefer to always have a sit/stand rising desk, or if I don't, getting an attachment for my desk that is a riser and allows me to stand anyway.
  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
    I have a sit stand desk. At first I started getting used to it by standing for 10-15 minutes an hour. Now I stand for about half the day. Sometimes a little more or less depending on meetings. But while it's bad to sit all day. It's also bad to stand all day. So I don't use it all the time.

    I also use it because I have herniated discs in my upper and lower back and it helps with the nerve pain from those if I can stand and stretch out periodically.

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