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Is it healthier to stand or sit? (1 Viewer)

Otis

Otis

Footballguy
Year 1 or COVID had me working from home every day, largely seated at a desk in my attic. None of the usual walking to work or through subways or wandering down to conference rooms for meetings or colleagues’ offices for chats.  I got a mini fridge and coffee maker near my deal, and some days this year when particular busy I would sit down at that desk at 8:30am and literally not get out of the chair till 5pm.  I’m told this is not healthy. 
 

I finally broke down and got an adjusting standing desk. It’s been a nice break. I woke up this morning and jumped out of bed and my feet hurt a bit. Almost like all those stabilizing muscles were sore from standing all day, shifting my weight around, etc. 

Got me to thinking — what’s better for you?  Standing or sitting?  Is there anything bad or unhealthy about standing at my desk all day?

TIA

 
Otis said:
Year 1 or COVID had me working from home every day, largely seated at a desk in my attic. None of the usual walking to work or through subways or wandering down to conference rooms for meetings or colleagues’ offices for chats.  I got a mini fridge and coffee maker near my deal, and some days this year when particular busy I would sit down at that desk at 8:30am and literally not get out of the chair till 5pm.  I’m told this is not healthy. 
 

I finally broke down and got an adjusting standing desk. It’s been a nice break. I woke up this morning and jumped out of bed and my feet hurt a bit. Almost like all those stabilizing muscles were sore from standing all day, shifting my weight around, etc. 

Got me to thinking — what’s better for you?  Standing or sitting?  Is there anything bad or unhealthy about standing at my desk all day?

TIA
Click to expand...
Intuitively sitting would have to be worse - but I'm not sure standing in one place is so great either. I'd suggest just getting up and walking around for a few minutes a couple of times a day - sometimes easier said then done.

 
Otis said:
Year 1 or COVID had me working from home every day, largely seated at a desk in my attic. None of the usual walking to work or through subways or wandering down to conference rooms for meetings or colleagues’ offices for chats.  I got a mini fridge and coffee maker near my deal, and some days this year when particular busy I would sit down at that desk at 8:30am and literally not get out of the chair till 5pm.  I’m told this is not healthy. 
 

I finally broke down and got an adjusting standing desk. It’s been a nice break. I woke up this morning and jumped out of bed and my feet hurt a bit. Almost like all those stabilizing muscles were sore from standing all day, shifting my weight around, etc. 

Got me to thinking — what’s better for you?  Standing or sitting?  Is there anything bad or unhealthy about standing at my desk all day?

TIA
Click to expand...
You have to slowly work yourself back into standing shape.  Remember you were in great shape standing at the bar for 2-3 hours during Happy Hour hitting on the ladies then walking 1/2 mile to the next pub and putting in another 1-2 hours of standing at the bar.  Just takes time to build that back up.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have the same problem - go upstairs to the office at 8/830 am - emerge 11 hours later barely having moved. 

At least it is nice enough now to walk/run in the evening. I would assume standing is a whole lot better for you. 

 
There’s no doubt that everything being equal that standing is better for you than sitting - you are burning some small amount of calories, your posture should be better and your digestion better.  But you do need to be careful of your back and feet.  Get a mat and take frequent short walks.

 
Think I read something that said you should stand 10 minutes of every hour. Even if that’s not the case I aim for that. 
 

Also picked up yoga during the pandemic. Do a little 15 minute stretch at lunchtime or end of the day if things are hectic. Highly recommend it. 

 
Similar situation/issue for me. Bought one of those yoga ball chairs and try to sit in that throughout the day when working from home. 
 

Haven’t gone full standing desk yet though. 

 
belljr said:
I'm doing it way wrong I lay in my recliner with my laptop on my lap lol
Click to expand...
That might be fine for your low back, but tough on the neck. Make sure it's getting support too if you're going to work in astronaut position all day.  ;)

 
Otis said:
Year 1 or COVID had me working from home every day, largely seated at a desk in my attic. None of the usual walking to work or through subways or wandering down to conference rooms for meetings or colleagues’ offices for chats.  I got a mini fridge and coffee maker near my deal, and some days this year when particular busy I would sit down at that desk at 8:30am and literally not get out of the chair till 5pm.  I’m told this is not healthy. 
 

I finally broke down and got an adjusting standing desk. It’s been a nice break. I woke up this morning and jumped out of bed and my feet hurt a bit. Almost like all those stabilizing muscles were sore from standing all day, shifting my weight around, etc. 

Got me to thinking — what’s better for you?  Standing or sitting?  Is there anything bad or unhealthy about standing at my desk all day?

TIA
Click to expand...
You want to do both.  And for standing you want an ergonomic mat to stand on to cushion your feet and also "move around" on.  The key is not to be stagnant and not to put extra pressure on joints from standing in once place all day either.

I have a sit-stand desk at my office, that my back sorely misses the past year.

 
I have an adjustable Varidesk at home. I alternate between the two throughout the day -- I usually stand first thing in the morning, after lunch, and then later evening.  Partially health, but I also find that I focus better standing up (I find most of cruising of the FBG boards happens while sitting down, for example -- and, yes, currently sitting). 

 
I stand for a few hours, then take the laptop outside and sit, then back to standing. On good days I'll take the dog for a walk or run over lunch.

 
Moving is better than being stationary.   Standing is slightly better than sitting.  Walking around is better than both of them.

 
What's "bad" is being in one position and looking at something the same distance away, for hours at a time.  So I alternate several times throughout the day with an adjustable desk converter on top of my regular desk.  I also stand on a wobble board like this so I'm constantly shifting weight, hanging my heels off the end to stretch the calves, etc.  And at least once every two hours or so I walk out of my office, stretch, go outside for some air, look off into the distance, move my neck around, etc.  "Movement snacksTM"

 
Probably not super healthy posture wise to sit all day. Thoracic kyphosis, glutes weakening, etc. Not good. Low back pain. This article references the world's leading spine biomechanics researcher.

I'm not sure I totally buy the "sitting is the new smoking" line. I know studies have linked consistently sitting for a long time to various ailments like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, etc. I've always interpreted that more with a very sedentary lifestyle isn't healthy than specifically sitting. Sometimes the two can overlap, but they don't have to. The guy who sits 8 hours a day who doesn't exercise at all and eats like he's still 14 vs the guy who sits 8 hours a day who gets his exercise (aerobic and anaerobic) in while eating healthy are two different cases. But they both sit for prolonged periods. I would question whether the two are at similar risks for heart disease. 

 
One of the first things I did when I became a virtual teacher was realize how much sitting and staring at a screen it was. I have a workout schedule on my white board that I do between classes, at lunch, while I am waiting for a kid to show up or whatever. I aim for enough that it gets my heart going but not so much I get sweaty. 

 
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