3 ms·
Because I disagreed with the conclusions of the article, I submitted this article to the HN community for assessment. Many of the responses here call into ques
by mistersquid 8y ago
Because I disagreed with the conclusions of the article, I submitted this article to the HN community for assessment.
Many of the responses here call into question the article's apparent position, especially as regards its inflammatory title, and these responses reflect my own opinion and experience.
I expressed my objections as a comment to the article, reproduced here for convenience. [0]
> I've been a long distance runner all my life, hovering at a 7:30 pace. In my mid 40s I began getting pain in my legs while running. Increasingly, I could not run more than 3 miles at a time without injuring. My pace went to 8:30 or slower.
> Almost 2 years ago, I went to physical therapy and my doctor prescribed a standing desk. 1 hour standing; 1 hour sitting.
> Part of the problem according to my doctor is that my legs were tightening while sitting. Intermittently standing and stretching was not enough to offset what sitting was doing to my leg and back muscles.
> Since receiving a standing accessory at work and acquiring a motorized desk at home, my injuries have disappeared.
> Of course the stretching exercises I continue to do as directed by my physical therapist help. But stretching by itself did not work as I grew older.
> The combination of stretching exercise and alternating standing and sitting afforded by a standing desk has helped me recover from my injuries.
> My running pace has hit 7:20 and declining.
> Dismissing the potential benefit of standing desk as an expensive luxury is about as advisable as dismissing a doctor's visit as unnecessary use of health care.
[0] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/19/upshot/why-standing-desks-are-overrated.html#commentsContainer&permid=29452335 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/19/upshot/why-standing-desks...
- jboy55 8y agoThe article that you are commenting on specifically states that standing desks aren't an improvement for cardiovascular health. The article also states that standing desks can help ergonomic issues. The article you posted shows that a standing desk can help ergonomic issues, it doesn't mention cardiovascular health.
- mistersquid 8y agoYou are right that the article clarifies the lack of relationship between cardiovascular health and standing. My point is that for me the two are interlinked. I could not run due to musculoskeletal issues from sitting. Being able to alternate between standing and sitting addressed these issues and allowed me to resume (improve) my running. I don’t have enough expertise to evaluate if the studies cited by the author account for the relatonship between ergonomics (musculoskeletal effects) and cardiovascular health, but I do believe in my specific case the two are inextricably linked. EDIT: spelling
- dahart 8y agoThe article seems very dismissive and hand-wavy to me. It doesn't really address a walking desk at all, but seems to conflate standing and walking as the same thing. My doctor suggested I use a treadmill desk after I had a bad episode of nerve pinch in my back and sciatica during a crunch time. I bought one and loved it. There were some minor practical issues using it at work, but none related to over-walking or anything like that. Personally, I doubt it's possible to over-walk at work with a treadmill desk, like the author of the article implied. I'm a runner as well, and I've tried a standing desk (as opposed to a walking desk) a few times, and while some people love it, my feet start to hurt very quickly when I just stand (after 10-15 minutes). Even if I use running shoes and a soft standing mat, and even if I shift my feet & weight a lot (or not). I don't have that problem at all while walking at a treadmill desk.