Sitting is the New Smoking? My Experience with Standing Desks - Home Business Essentials
Introduction
I've been working from home for almost 2 years now and it's been quite an adventure. I get to make my own schedule, work in pajama if I want to and have a quality of life many people would envy. It didn't come without challenges or drawback as you can read in my article 3 reasons why making money online may not be all it's cracked up to be. But all in all, it's been a boon.
In this article, I am going to share a #lifehack I adopted that increased the quality life tremendously. This series is written for the aspiring home based business entrepreneurs and the already established one who want to better their life. I've already wrote 2 article in this series:
- YNAB - The Budgeting Software That Changed My Financial Life
- Home Business Essentials - Staying and Getting Strong - My Review of Stronglifts 5x5 program
Today, you will discover why sitting is the new smoking and about my experience in transitioning from working in the sitting position to working with a standing desk.
Sitting is the New Smoking?
From the driver’s seat to the office chair and then the couch at home, we are spending way too much time in the sitting position than ever and researchers say it’s wreaking havoc on our bodies.
As Dr. James Levine from the Mayo Clinic says:
Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.
Researchers have found very strong evidence that spending too much time in the sitting position increases the chance of developing several serious illnesses like various types of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
As in this article from the TheActiveTimes mention:
Another reason the smoking analogy is relevant is that studies have repeatedly shown the effects of long-term sitting are not reversible through exercise or other good habits.
If you want to know more about all the different ways sitting is literally shortening people's lifespan visit this page.
The Solution
Recently, I've been experiencing pelvic floor pain and lower back pain due to extensive time sitting (sometime up to 12h a day). When I discovered about the dangers of sitting too much, I decided to buy this standing desk from IKEA.
Now, if you are on a budget, check out this pinterest board with some cool DIY models. A few sheets of plywood and you can be in business.
One more thing that you will need is a good mat under your feet. Spending hours standing may get hard on the body.
My Experience
So I've now been using a standing desk for a few weeks. At first, it was hard since my legs and my back wasn't used to spend that much time standing. Whatever you don't use you lose right? But after a few days, I got my core muscles to be more engaged and my posture improved significantly.
Also, another big improvement that I've noticed, is in relationship with my strength training program. I use to go squat and then spend 10hrs sitting afterward. That created a problem since my leg muscles would be shorten right after I big exercise. I ended up having difficulty running. Since using a standing desk, I've cut my recovery time by a lot AND no longer have issues with running.
Conclusion
If you find yourself spending too much time sitting, take the time to:
- Read on the consequences of spending too much time sitting
- Buy or build yourself a standing desk
- Get a floor mat
- Give yourself time to adjust
You will be very happy to have adopted this #lifestyle change that will pay #health benefits for years to come.
Maybe you should put the laptop in a pool and start posting to Steemit from underwater....like underwater Steem reports...maybe like this your back and health will improve.
That's something I never thought about. I'll definitely consider it ;-)
I've been wanting to try this... maybe I can just put my desk on a couple cinder blocks ;)
Great article!
Amazing how something like sitting can become such a problem.
I make sure to stay moving regularly, even when I am sitting.
I alway recommend to people to find ways to stretch or move 1 minute every half hour and the results are profound.
So a standing chair is an awesome new idea but there are still ways to stay healthier even when required to sit a lot.
I agree, but something that definitely alarmed me is what's written in one of the article I've read:
Yes I remember that part and is actually the part I disagreed with most.
While it may be likely even if a study showed results, I would not believe that with the right physical therapy and dedication fixing the body to be impossible.
The study is alarming though and implications profound.
In conclusion to much sitting is without a doubt unhealthy Short and long term.
Can someone be "healthier" by doing exercise when they are a smoker? Of course. But it will never compete with an active non-smoker. If it is the same case with "sitters" than it's a very alarming situation. From the Mayo Clinic article:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005
very nice info specially for the people who use internet in late night hours i totally agree with you dear @cryptoctopus "Sitting is more dangerous than smoking....." i have read some tips given by physicians for the people who sit on the chair or in the chair for several hours and mostly use pc.
take rest every 30 minutes your eyes and walk for about some time in fresh air.
every time you use pc or work hard like study etc on office chair take a milk glass it will help to regenerate your brain and body energy.
always use chair that fit your back and always create difference from monitor/lcd screen.
I've been using a standing desk for the last two years and I could never go back to sitting all day. Like you, it took a few weeks at the start to build up the strength in my legs, then I was all good.
Nice!
Upgrade!
At work they have started to deploy fully pneumatic desks. At the push of a button it rises or lowers. It has 5 programmable buttons for height adjustments. Ample power and network plugs are built into the surface. At it's highest, a very tall person could be standing fully upright and work. Really nice. It makes such a huge difference to be able to adjust desk height throughout the day.
In 2014 I had major issues with sporadic pain in one leg from to many years of sitting from long periods of time. My hip flexors were so tight I had no mobility at all. Even though I was also very active in the gym and had issues.
I went on a research binge to find a solution and found that a standup desk might fix it or at least help it. The problem I had was I had always been accustomed to a multiple monitor setup, and from my research the wider the desk and the higher you lift the worst the wobble becomes.
I ended up finding this http://www.ergoprise.com/uprise-height-adjustable-desk-base/
Video for it here
So the base was perfect but the next problem I faced was the actual table top, their wasn’t anything that suited the size, and having a custom one made was very expensive. I ended up finding 3 old school library desks for sale for $20.00 that were a perfect size of 6 foot long and 3 foot wide. The desks were rough as hell with old chewing gum stuck everywhere underneath obviously from students stashing the gum. So I removed all the gum sanded them down and re painted. You can see in this photo
I have my 2 27” and 1 x 24’ and a 17’ laptop sitting on their no problem, also when I have the desk up there is no wobble at all it is perfectly stable. So if you like the space on a desk and want a solid solution this is the one. I have had it for over 2 years and haven’t had one issue. And the best thing is I don’t have any pain anymore in my leg. I try to standup every hour for about 10-15 minutes and sometimes I even forget I am standing and it becomes a lot longer. Standing up is also a great way to help reduce weight because your metabolic rate is higher
Anyway thanks @cryptooctopus for the post I hope more users can use all this info to help them if they have similar issues.
that's awesome dude! I'm super happy not to be the only one who's seen incredible benefits from it. :-)
Mate, in all honesty, i think if I hadn't evolved to using this I would have had a hip replacement, lol...no but joking aside if I had known about the benefits from the beginning it would have saved a shit load on painkillers:)
Just imagine sitting every day AND being a smoker...
Haha! Might as well go hard!
Long term, sitting is not reversible through good changes and new life habits? That doesn't seem right...
8h of sitting...think about it. how much can you reverse that with 30min to an 1hour of activities?
Well what specifically are the consequences of 8 hours of sitting? Plaque build up in arteries? Getting your heart rate up greatly reduces that... Bad posture? Just sitting correctly can help with that as well...
Irreversible damage if true, is amazing... (in a bad way of coure) :)
I don't think its a "natural" posture that we were built for...but i'm no scientist or doctor, I've just read the stuff that came out of the mayo clinic research and definitely motivated me to give up the chair. :-)
Well keep my updated on the improvements you notice... I may have to give up the chair as well ;)
I have olso some back problems @cryptoctopus ... in the past I had an accident...
But what I do is just from time to time (like after 1-1.5h ) I move up and then down, move little bit my legs, streach and olso move little bit my neck too.
This small exercises help not remaining stiff when you have to write stories and blog.
Hope it can help you!