"Sitting is the new smoking"

Considering how much us tech people sit, either at work, or labbing at home, or just kicking back with tv or a game, seems like we would be at a high risk of what some of this research is warning against.

I have moved to a rigged-with-boxes standing desk at home, and try to be sure to get up at least once an hour and walk around a bit at work, but with my commute and studying at lunch, I spend almost half a day sitting, 5 days a week. Have any of you had luck getting work to spring for a standing desk, or even better, one of the adjustable ones? Any other thoughts on how to sit less?

I am also hoping to buy a real standing desk in the next couple months for home, any suggestions? I have looked at a few, but they are pricey!

How Sitting All Day Is Damaging Your Body and How You Can Counteract It

Sitting All Day Is Worse For You Than You Might Think : NPR

7 Ways Sitting Will Kill You | Popular Science

http://ergodepot.com/v/vspfiles/images/SittingSmoking.pdf

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Comments

ptilsen

The coffee pot is about 300 steps away and I drink 10-15 cups a day. We're encouraged to get up and take walks, and my company joined the Virgin HealthMiles program, so we all have pedometers and goals to reach for steps. Still, I must spend at least eight hours a day sitting, if not 12 or 15. I do workout somewhat regularly, but if I'm not in transit or working out, I'm probably sitting. I guess it's a problem most of us probably have.

A standing desk is an interesting idea, but it's out of the question for my work. We have half-height cubicles, which are evil on their own, but also preclude standing without neighbors seeing and hearing you.

dave330i

Treadmill Desk from TrekDesk

NotHackingYou

We have these available where I work and the people that have them seem to love them. Amazon.com: Ergotron WorkFit-S 33-341-200 Dual Sit-Stand Workstation - Steel, Plastic, Aluminum - Black: Electronics

pert

I'm seriously considering getting a standing desk. I'm concerned I may not have the strength to switch to standing 40 hours a week, has anyone made the jump?

Wow, that product on Amazon actually looks pretty awesome. I might opt for that. The cable management with that could be a real issue though.

jamthat

ptilsen wrote: »

The coffee pot is about 300 steps away and I drink 10-15 cups a day. We're encouraged to get up and take walks, and my company joined the Virgin HealthMiles program, so we all have pedometers and goals to reach for steps. Still, I must spend at least eight hours a day sitting, if not 12 or 15. I do workout somewhat regularly, but if I'm not in transit or working out, I'm probably sitting. I guess it's a problem most of us probably have.

A standing desk is an interesting idea, but it's out of the question for my work. We have half-height cubicles, which are evil on their own, but also preclude standing without neighbors seeing and hearing you.

10-15 cups!! I thought I drank a lot of coffee..impressive!

ptilsen

I would definitely want to see or even demo anything before buying. I'm definitely a skeptic of the standing desks I've seen.

I'm an even bigger skeptic of the treadmill desk. It seems like it would be hard to focus on actually working, and physically difficult to use a computer. Again, I'd be willing to try it, but it's hard to imagine actually using one effectively.

jmritenour

I make a serious effort to stay active outside of work. I usually run anywhere from 3-5 miles a day on the weekends, and I have a gym like 2 blocks from my office, and I'm usually there 3-4 times a week, lifting weights or doing cardio. I've run 2 10Ks this year, and I'm doing the Super Spartan next month.

It's not easy to stay fit with a full time job, an hour+ commute, and a family, but it can be done, you just have to put in the effort. I'm in much better shape than I was this time a year ago. Still have a bit more to go, but I feel better than in my mid 30s than I did in my mid-20s.

tpatt100

I was in the best shape of my life back when I worked retail.

NotHackingYou

The sit and stand I posted above is a pretty good unit. You can move back and forth as you like. For the most part, they have the cables wrapped together and the cable management hasn't been an issue. I personally do not use one.

cyberguypr

We have standing desks in our office. I think 4 or 6. We put them in the corners looking out the windows so they can be used for an hour or two at a time (everyone has a laptop). They are extremely popular and people always fight for them.

Series 5 | Height-Adjustable | Tables and Conferencing | Category | Products | Steelcase

About7Narwhal

Cause of my back I have to adjust sitting and standing every hour or so otherwise I get really bad pain. So I usually go for a walk anyway. But a standing desk I couldn't do, the angle would be killer for me. I don't quite bend that way anymore. lol

gbdavidx

I wouldn't agree with that, we are using our mind - smoking is just bad for you

Qord

Well this is extra bad news to us smokers!

To counteract this kind of thing, the company I work for recently implemented a 3 by 30 (3x30) program that allows us to take 30 minutes on the clock 3 days a week for exercise. We've got folks doing yoga, karate, dance lessons....you name it. I did it for a couple weeks (walking/jogging), but I just feel like I don't have the time during work for this.

gbdavidx

Qord wrote: »

Well this is extra bad news to us smokers!

To counteract this kind of thing, the company I work for recently implemented a 3 by 30 (3x30) program that allows us to take 30 minutes on the clock 3 days a week for exercise. We've got folks doing yoga, karate, dance lessons....you name it. I did it for a couple weeks (walking/jogging), but I just feel like I don't have the time during work for this.

that is awesome! i would totally do that

pert

I think the people talking about their exercise routine are missing the point. From a calories burned point of view, standing vs sitting at work trumps virtually ANY form of cardio you are doing after work. Even if you are doing that already, a standing desk would double down on your results.

wes allen

And, if your read some of the research, it says that even if you are super active outside of work, sitting for extended periods is still a big risk factor.

Stand up and move around every 45-60 minutes for at least 5 minutes if you can - this seams to go a long way toward reducing the risk. Even standing still at standing desks has issues, so the key is movement every hour.

olaHalo

I keep weights in my office and walk around the rather large property several times a day.
Not really concerned about health. I just get bored at work lol.

Still a good read thanks OP

Asif Dasl

phoeneous wrote: »

Huh? :

You burn more calories standing than you do sitting down. Even if you worked out 3 days a week you still might not burn more calories
than you would if you stood all day while working. Here is a calculator.

Snow.bros

I mean i don't honestly need information from the internet to know that people who sit in the office are similar to couch potatoes but only worse because couch potatoes at some point they walk around the when they get bored or get tired of the TV screen and they start doing something else, on the other hand we sit behind the desk looking at the screen with the same posture the whole 5 days a week and then eat fast junk food during lunch, now how the hell do you think your lifestyle is healthy.

glenn_33

We've got a gym here at work. A lot of people seem to use it. I'm thinking about signing up and working out for an hour after work before headed home. That way I can get my exercise AND beat rush hour

bdub

pert wrote: »

I think the people talking about their exercise routine are missing the point. From a calories burned point of view, standing vs sitting at work trumps virtually ANY form of cardio you are doing after work. Even if you are doing that already, a standing desk would double down on your results.

IDK about this. I had a standing desk at work for about 8 months and I noticed absolutely no "results" as far as weight loss etc... whereas I just started running again (before I had kids I used to do long distance running) and since I started 2 months ago I have already lost 10lbs and that is without changing anything in my diet + sitting at work all day. So sitting is certainly not trumping my running no matter what some "researchers" say. Edit: I thought I should add to this that I am not overweight, so losing 10lbs in 2 months when I'm already in decent shape is pretty good.

The thing is standing all day is not really all that much better than sitting, its moving that our bodies are meant for not sitting or standing. Standing in one place all day is hard on your joints and unless you have a box to set your foot on (alternate between feet) and a anti fatigue mat to stand on, and even with those things, you are just trading in one problem for another. Maybe standing is slightly less bad than sitting, or maybe I don't know what I am talking about. But I do know that for me the standing desk was not "better" in any measurable way and I still had plenty of back problems (along with my legs and knees hurting), just made me want to go home and sit!

Basically to me this is just a new fad, which is being marketed to people with "research" just like any other lifestyle/diet fad out there. For some people it might be great, for others not so much, but it certainly isn't a magic fix to better health.

pert

bdub wrote: »

IDK about this. I had a standing desk at work for about 8 months and I noticed absolutely no "results" as far as weight loss etc... whereas I just started running again (before I had kids I used to do long distance running) and since I started 2 months ago I have already lost 10lbs and that is without changing anything in my diet + sitting at work all day. So sitting is certainly not trumping my running no matter what some "researchers" say. Edit: I thought I should add to this that I am not overweight, so losing 10lbs in 2 months when I'm already in decent shape is pretty good.

The thing is standing all day is not really all that much better than sitting, its moving that our bodies are meant for not sitting or standing. Standing in one place all day is hard on your joints and unless you have a box to set your foot on (alternate between feet) and a anti fatigue mat to stand on, and even with those things, you are just trading in one problem for another. Maybe standing is slightly less bad than sitting, or maybe I don't know what I am talking about. But I do know that for me the standing desk was not "better" in any measurable way and I still had plenty of back problems (along with my legs and knees hurting), just made me want to go home and sit!

Basically to me this is just a new fad, which is being marketed to people with "research" just like any other lifestyle/diet fad out there. For some people it might be great, for others not so much, but it certainly isn't a magic fix to better health.

Cardio just doesn't burn nearly as many calories as people think it does. Not to say it isn't important to health, but the idea that it burns super calories is complete fabrication. If you workout really heavy, you burn maybe 500 calories in 30 minutes. If you workout 3 times a week, that's 1500 calories. Not even 1/2 a pound of fat. If you're trying to lose or gain weight, it's all about your diet. Cardio is for health primarily, the calories are not the primary motivation.

Depending on how heavy you are, you can burn 2000-3000 extra calories a week standing at work instead of sitting. I don't think anyone is going to drop a bunch of weight doing this (or doing cardio). However, it certainly is enough to take you from most people's diet of slightly too many calories to neutral.

Cardio is great, it makes you healthy, it really effective at preventing weight gain. But, if you want to drop 50 lbs you're not going to do it at the treadmill, you're going to do it at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

bdub

pert wrote: »

Cardio just doesn't burn nearly as many calories as people think it does. Not to say it isn't important to health, but the idea that it burns super calories is complete fabrication. If you workout really heavy, you burn maybe 500 calories in 30 minutes. If you workout 3 times a week, that's 1500 calories. Not even 1/2 a pound of fat. If you're trying to lose or gain weight, it's all about your diet. Cardio is for health primarily, the calories are not the primary motivation.

Depending on how heavy you are, you can burn 2000-3000 extra calories a week standing at work instead of sitting. I don't think anyone is going to drop a bunch of weight doing this (or doing cardio). However, it certainly is enough to take you from most people's diet of slightly too many calories to neutral.

Cardio is great, it makes you healthy, it really effective at preventing weight gain. But, if you want to drop 50 lbs you're not going to do it at the treadmill, you're going to do it at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

According to various online calculators I burn over 1000 calories every time I run. This also does not count Exercise After Burn or the amount of calories burned while the body repairs sore muscles (which you will get from running long distance especially if your run includes plenty of inclines), neither of which come into play from standing in one place for 8 hours a day.

Also, I just want to point out that I never made any claims of cardio being a "super calorie burner" or whatever. Also, I specifically mentioned I am not really overweight nor am I really trying to lose weight. Just that I lost 10lbs in the past 2 months from running, while also sitting every day at work. My comments in response to the claim that sitting all day trumps any exercise you do which from my own real life experience is completely false.

Standing might burn more calories than you would from sitting, but I stood for 8 months at work and noticed no positive results. Not only that, but I've known lots of people who have worked jobs where they are on their feet all day at their job and they are generally no healthier than the people I've worked with who sit all day. You can do "research" to "prove" just about anything you want to. But the simple fact of the matter is there are few jobs in existence that do not have some detrimental physical effect on our bodies. Its just the nature of working, exercise is still the best counter effect we have, claiming that standing in place all day is the answer and that sitting all day completely trumps exercise is absurd and misleading.

Edit: Also, this article seems to suggest your statement "you can burn 2000-3000 extra calories a week standing at work instead of sitting" is not correct.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/312386-how-many-calories-do-you-burn-standing-all-day/

For a 130lb person standing for 8 hours a day for 5 days a week only burns an extra 500 calories over sitting. That doesn't sound like a significant difference to me.

Here is a calculator for those interested in seeing the difference between standing or sitting for their weight:

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

pert

What kind of run burns 1000 calories in 30 minutes?

Also, I'll admit that my number for the calories burnt standing vs sitting was mostly pulled out of my rear, because I just haven't seen any good sources quantify it. However, there definitely is a very significant difference between sitting and standing when it comes to energy expenditure.

bdub

pert wrote: »

What kind of run burns 1000 calories in 30 minutes?

Also, I'll admit that my number for the calories burnt standing vs sitting was mostly pulled out of my rear, because I just haven't seen any good sources quantify it. However, there definitely is a very significant difference between sitting and standing when it comes to energy expenditure.

When did I ever say I only run for 30 minutes? There is no such thing as long distance running that only lasts 30 minutes.

datgirl

When I am teaching, I really get a good work-out, and "I feel the burn" after "working" the room. I am a very kinesthetic instructor and rarely sit for very long in the class-room. The same for consulting, which again tends to be very physically demanding. The main time that I am sedentary is when I am studying or am alone in my office for long periods of time. Then I may sit for very long periods of time, though in my office I have a very good / comfortable chair, and will also "try" to re-seat myself in different chairs and positions. however, I must admit that one of my true concerns is not contracting carpal tunnel syndrome from all the typing that I do.

gorebrush

I work 12 hour shifts 4 times a week and I study predominantly when I'm at home. But I try and go swimming regularly as possible

MAC_Addy

tpatt100 wrote: »

I was in the best shape of my life back when I worked retail.

Likewise. Although, back then I worked out a lot, too. The coffee pot for me is about 7 steps away. Too bad. My company is on the 4th floor, so every hour I walk down stairs and back. I usually work out everyday, but since my wife and I recently moved, I don't have any time to work out.

whatthehell

Requested a standing desk from work or a exercise ball chair -- -both got rejected and they told me I need a dr's note. Sheesh! Going to try and get that, but seems like frequent "health" breaks and working out at lunch seems to help.

Does anyone know the longest recommended time that people should sit down? In other words --- stand up every 30 minutes for 5 minutes?

wes allen

I think most of the research says to stand up and move around a bit every 45-60 minutes if possible. That is what I try to do. There are some apps out there to help remind you, or you can just set a timer or alarm as well.