The Money Mustache Community
Other => Off Topic => Topic started by: fiveoh on April 11, 2013, 06:26:40 PM
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Has anyone gone from a sitting desk to a standing desk and noticed a difference? It's supposed to be a lot better for your lower back etc. I've been having lower back pain and some other things that might be related to poor blood flow. I sit for 6+ hours a day at work so I ordered these parts and am going to try it.
http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Standesk_2200_Assembly_Instructions.pdf
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I made one at work for my laptop out of boxes and a pretty throw on top. I picked up an anti-fatigue mat at a swap meet, and that keeps my feet comfortable. That said, my desktop is still a sit down, and I can and do go back and forth frequently. I link the two by putting all my files onto Google Drive; whatever I'm working on is instantly accessible on either machine or at home or on my tablet.
I really love what it's done for my neck and shoulders. Be sure you get the keyboard at about elbow level-- that's important.
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Outside of a better desk you might want to consider yoga or stretching, my wife has the same problem and she does yoga (in this case 10 min workout vids) and has made all the difference in the world
Rob
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+1 to stretching.
If you've been sitting so much recently I wouldn't be surprised if you had some anterior pelvic tilt caused by tight hip flexors; it could be putting your low back in a compromised position. If you switch to a standing desk but your posture is still bad it might not do you a lot of good.
I mention this because I have this problem and I feel a hojillion times better after stretching my hips.
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+1 to stretching.
If you've been sitting so much recently I wouldn't be surprised if you had some anterior pelvic tilt caused by tight hip flexors; it could be putting your low back in a compromised position. If you switch to a standing desk but your posture is still bad it might not do you a lot of good.
I mention this because I have this problem and I feel a hojillion times better after stretching my hips.
I've been trying to stretch every night but I'm not really sure what stretches to do and how often/much to do. My hamstrings are tight as hell, I can't even touch my feet. Any books or websites you recomend for good hip stretches? I've thought about going to see a chiropractor to get my pelvis checked out.
I've used the stand up desk for about 3 days now and I have to say its very tiring/hard on my legs/lower back to stand for more than 45 mins or so. Maybe I need an anti-fatigue mat or something. I find myself standing for 30 mins then sitting for 30 mins etc
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Standing with good posture requires more active use of your posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes) than you're probably used to. Keeping shoulders back & "down", spine neutral, abs tight, butt tight usually fixes my posture. And don't lean on one foot or the other.
Doing exercises that work the posterior chain, such as kettlebell swings and deadlifts, can help over time.
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I've used the stand up desk for about 3 days now and I have to say its very tiring/hard on my legs/lower back to stand for more than 45 mins or so. Maybe I need an anti-fatigue mat or something. I find myself standing for 30 mins then sitting for 30 mins etc
Have you tried doing it shoeless? I find when I stand barefoot I often end up more on the balls of my feet, which helps me long-term. I also vary my posture and position a lot, and if I'm uncomfortable, I shift naturally. Of course, you might not work at home like I do, but it helps me a lot.
I've also played with having something to rest one of my legs on, putting me in a position similar to climbing a step.
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+1 to stretching.
If you've been sitting so much recently I wouldn't be surprised if you had some anterior pelvic tilt caused by tight hip flexors; it could be putting your low back in a compromised position. If you switch to a standing desk but your posture is still bad it might not do you a lot of good.
I mention this because I have this problem and I feel a hojillion times better after stretching my hips.
I've been trying to stretch every night but I'm not really sure what stretches to do and how often/much to do. My hamstrings are tight as hell, I can't even touch my feet. Any books or websites you recomend for good hip stretches? I've thought about going to see a chiropractor to get my pelvis checked out.
I've used the stand up desk for about 3 days now and I have to say its very tiring/hard on my legs/lower back to stand for more than 45 mins or so. Maybe I need an anti-fatigue mat or something. I find myself standing for 30 mins then sitting for 30 mins etc
www.mobilitywod.com (http://www.mobilitywod.com) for all your stretching needs! Though the guy can be pretty obtuse at times, there's basically no stretch from that site that I have done that hasn't made me feel better in some way. Except holy cow do not take his advice on "never ever ice in response to inflammation!"
As for your hips specifically, if you stand sideways in front of a full-length mirror and look at your belt, is it pretty parallel to the ground or does it tilt? If it tilts forward like it does for most people who sit too much, do some searching for anterior pelvic tilt and make use of some of those resources. If you think you suffer from this, you can search anterior pelvic tilt on mobility wod and get some good stretches too, specifically the "couch stretch." But of course getting a professional opinion would be best!
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I've used the stand up desk for about 3 days now and I have to say its very tiring/hard on my legs/lower back to stand for more than 45 mins or so. Maybe I need an anti-fatigue mat or something. I find myself standing for 30 mins then sitting for 30 mins etc
Have you tried doing it shoeless? I find when I stand barefoot I often end up more on the balls of my feet, which helps me long-term. I also vary my posture and position a lot, and if I'm uncomfortable, I shift naturally. Of course, you might not work at home like I do, but it helps me a lot.
I've also played with having something to rest one of my legs on, putting me in a position similar to climbing a step.
I use my standing desk about 60% of the time at work now. Before I got my mat, it was more like 30% and I was tired from it. I also find that I can and usually do shed my shoes (I slip them back on when I leave my own office), but I needed a really deep get mat to make that comfortable, enough to provide arch support. I found the mat at a flea market, and I'm feeling much better with this setup than I have in a year or so. Better posture and no more shoulder pain.