Stand-up desks seem to be all the rage these days. I have read many articles on the subject, and looked for many solutions for stand-up desks. Many of these cost thousands of dollars. I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment, but I definitely wanted to try the stand up desk for myself.
If you haven't heard, sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day has been proven to be very unhealthy. Even the benefits of daily excercise may not offset the effects of sedentary work days. This article from the New York Times is one of many articles that prompted me to get off my keester and make a change. Other people in our office are following a similar path. Lisa even has a treadmill attached to her desk! (Don't think I'm ready to go that far yet, but maybe one day...)
The Back Story
Now I want to be clear about my lifestyle. I wouldn't say I'm the picture of health. I enjoy my pizza and chips. But I am making more healthy choices, and have even taken up jogging. Yey me.
As I said, I didn't want to make the commitment to spend thousands of dollars to buy a stand-up desk. So a temporary solution was in order. I scoured our equipment room looking for boxes or anything that I could use to prop up my computer monitors, keyboard, mouse and tablet. Strangely enough, the perfect height was achieved by a couple of dead CRT monitors and a few pieces of plywood. Some broken speakers would do for monitor stands.
The Experience
I have been using my makeshift stand-up desk for about a month now. I'd love to say that I now go home from work feeling more energized and refreshed than ever before. But's that's not really the case.
For the first week or so, I was exhausted after standing all day. My legs were sore, my knees ached and all I wanted to do was sit. Looking back, I should have gradually worked my way into standing all day.
By the second week, I was doing better, but found myself cheating quite a bit, such as sitting on the edge of my desk while working, or finding excuses to work at other, more traditional, workstations.
But now my determination is back at an all time high. I'm standing more, I'm no longer exhausted by the end of the day, and my co-workers say I look like I'm commanding a spacecraft like some kind of super captain (Yes!)
Conclusion
I think the main thing is, I'm moving around more. When I stand, at my station, I tend to shuffle around a bit. I pace when I need to figure out a problem. I take more frequent walks around the office.
Do I feel better after a day of standing, compared to a day of sitting? Not really. It's not like the rush of endorphins I get after a long run or workout. But I can stand confidently knowing that throughout the day, I am burning up to 350 extra calories, and know that I am doing that one extra little thing to help me move towards a more healthy lifestyle.
How about you? Any experience using a stand-up desk? Good or bad? Leave a comment below!
