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Overweight? Standing May Be Solution
- umjames 19y agoDoes this mean we should make desks and tables higher so that we are forced to stand while we work?
- mhartl 19y agoBasically, yes. The best solution is probably to get a desk with adjustable height. A couple of my friends have them, and swear by them. They're a bit pricey, but I might get one anyway. (Do a web search on "height adjustable desk" for some options.) Incidentally, being able to experiment with your work environment like this is yet another reason not to work in a 'normal' job. Not too many offices would let you get away with a standing desk, and if your desk is publicly visible the social cost of being the only one standing could be significant.
- umjames 19y agoI definitely agree with the 'normal' job comment. I'm just curious about the concept of standing all day to code. I guess the good thing about it is that it can force you to take regular breaks, even if the break consists of just sitting down.
- zach 19y agoI did it once. Worth doing! I was coding at someone else's house and they had a standing desk and sitting desk. I was at the standing desk all day, partly out of necessity and partly out of curiosity. By the end of the day, my feet were a little sore and I was a little more tired than otherwise, but I felt more active while I was doing it. I would like to try it again before committing to a new desk, however. Now that I've been reminded of it, I'm already thinking of how I can try that at my place.
- jbf 19y agoDesks with adjustable height are great. Being able to change positions throughout the day is well worth the cost. Long work sessions are far more comfortable since I began using one. I've got the 72" version of this: http://anthro.com/cpage.aspx?ssid=12 http://anthro.com/cpage.aspx?ssid=12 Their stuff is very, very solid.
- abstractbill 19y agoAgreed, being able to experiment is awesome. I keep wondering if I could rig up a work environment where I'm lying flat on my back, on the floor, with an LCD panel mounted far enough above my head that I won't hit it when I get up. The big show-stopper, as far as I can see, is that I can't touch-type so I'd have to mount a keyboard somewhere roughly above my neck or chest where I could see it... but then I think my arms would get tired quickly.
- stevei 19y agoI have an adjustable height desk from Ikea that goes from sitting to standing with the touch of a button. It has a little electric motor that moves the entire desktop up and down. The motor system is just a different base for their GALANT line of modular desks, so you can configure it any way you'd like. By far the least expensive adjustable desk that I've seen...
- mhartl 19y agoSounds good. What's the model number?
- patrickg-zill 19y agoMichael Dell, according to people I know that have worked for him, has a standing desk (sort of like an oversized lectern) instead of a regular sit-down desk. Getting up and sitting down were considered to be time wasters.
- mynameishere 19y agoI think the real reason has to do with piles.
- plusbryan 19y agoI really love my height-adjustable desk from ikea: http://lifehacker.com/software/coolest-workspace-contest/coolest-workspace-contest--the-adjustable-desk-170289.php http://lifehacker.com/software/coolest-workspace-contest/coo...
- bootload 19y ago"... In most cases, exercise alone, according to a team of scientists at the University of Missouri, isn't enough to take off those added pounds. ..." Horse crud. Exercise is the best way to reduce weight for all but the most unfit. My guess the real reason why you get statements like this is because they are factoring in the time you have to take to exercise. How much? Well minimum 10K steps. For me thats 7 almost kilometers per day. If you walk, thats about an hour. Less if you run (20-30 min) or ride (20-25 min). Remember thats a minimum. Couple that with a reduced intake of food and you will loose weight. But work gets in the way of this. Ever tried exercising 1Hr+ per day during the working week? Every day? For most (unless you create your own job) this is not possible because your work requires your presence in one spot working hard for longer hours. [0] Thats why this kind of research could be important. It is hardly a substitute for regular exercise and movement. [0] "1982 and 2002, the proportion of full-time workers working a 40 hour week declined from 39% to 24%" ~ http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/industrial/family/overview/statistics http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/industrial/family/overview/statis...
- downer 19y ago> Horse crud. > Exercise is the best way to reduce weight for all but the most unfit. Not so. That hour of walking you suggest is easily replaced by simply reducing caloric intake slightly. In fact, you have to watch intake anyway, because when you exercise, your body automatically increases your appetite to compensate for the additional energy expenditure. http://nymag.com/news/sports/38001/ http://nymag.com/news/sports/38001/ "He will have to climb twenty flights of stairs to rid himself of the energy contained in one slice of bread!" Newburgh observed. So why not skip the stairs, skip the bread, and call it a day? The reasons to exercise include all sorts of health and fitness benefits, but losing weight is pretty far down the list. Even top athletes always have to be careful with diet and often weigh their food with gram scales.
- bootload 19y ago"... That hour of walking you suggest is easily replaced by simply reducing caloric intake slightly. ..." One thing I have found is exercise done before eating reduces appetite. Slight reductions in food is difficult if there is an abundance of high fat/high calorie food. Especially if it tastes good. One insight into the relationship between food, exercise and culture is the Japanese in places like Okinawa [0] & Sakaemura [1] who have: - low calorie, low fat diet - high energy output (mostly via farming & activities such as karate) - social networking contributing 4-5 years on average longer lifespans it is thought through leanness. [2] They key thing appears to the combination of diet, exercise and societal connection. Exercise is one of the keys to leanness but not the only one. One thing you can bet on. If you don't exercise, eat the wrong foods and too much of it you will loose fitness. [0] http://www.abc.net.au/sydney/stories/s1329191.htm http://www.abc.net.au/sydney/stories/s1329191.htm [1] http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/09/1089000356464.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/09/1089000356464.html [2] http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200704/000020070407A0077297.php http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200704/000020070407A00...
- umjames 19y agoI wonder if kneeling or lying down has the same detrimental effects as sitting. At home, when I am coding on a laptop, I often alternate between sitting in a chair and kneeling at the foot of the bed. Oftentimes, kneeling feels better until my knees get sore, then it's back to the chair.
- dfens 19y agoHey that's what I do.
- kirubakaran 19y agoThe Hacker's Diet http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdiet.html http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdiet.html It is a great book.