Back at the end of January, I wrote a blog post on my new standing desk. Â See: Â HERE. Â Here is an update:
First, I still love my standing desk and I still have no intent to return to sitting. Â In my first post, I talked specifically about 4 short term impressions. Â I want to update those impressions. Â Some have changed, some haven’t.
1. My feet still hurt. Â After my first post, I was hoping that my foot pain would go away around two months in. Â However, it is still there. Â It is certainly getting better, but if I am at my desk all day, I am usually shifting my feet and stretching my calves by the afternoon. Â It doesn’t help that I have a little plantar faciitis going on in my left foot. Â If I walk around a little, the achiness goes away. Â Still no knee pain, no ankle pain, and no back pain. Â And yes, I still subconsciously sit on the edge of my regular desk while on the phone.
2. Â I am still more productive. Â I still think this is the best way to go for someone who needs to increase productivity. Â I don’t have to “sit down” at my desk to do something. Â I don’t have to stand up to grab something. Â I am always up and ready to go.
One thing I have noticed is that reading long documents while standing still is hard. Â I also don’t like staring at my computer while reading. Â If I have something long to read, I will load it on my iPad and walk around my office while I read. Â While this seems like an annoyance, it actually helps with getting things done. Â First, I often get heavy eyed when I have to read something while sitting. Â So, walking around keeps me awake. Â The blood pumping helps keep me focused. Â So, less brain fog as the day grows long. Â Additionally, when I have to type long messages (like this post), I will walk around my office to gather my thoughts before writing the next section. Â That has been a huge help in staying on topic.
3. Â This may not as good for avoiding soreness as I thought, but it helps. Â The first time I wrote this article, I said that standing was really helpful when I had sore or tight muscles. Â While I will still say it is helpful, I found during the Open that I still get sore and tight after hard workouts. Â My legs still ache after 5×10 back squats. Â However, I am not as sore or stiff as I would be sitting around all day at a desk. Â I can shift my weight, stretch my legs, forward fold a little. Â I have even taken samsun lunge stretches while on the phone. Â I do think being up and ready to move like has helped. Â However, it hasn’t loosened my hips as much as I thought it would. Â I could easily change that by adding a couple of easy stretches throughout the day.
4. Â I have more energy. Â This is a huge advantage to standing all day. Â Before standing, I took frequent naps in the afternoon, as I confessed in the first post. Â I will still contend that getting up at 4am every day will make anyone a little groggy around 2:30pm. Â However, since standing, I rarely ever feel the need for a nap. Â This week was the first time in about 2 months that I had to take a mid afternoon nap, but I am blaming that on a nasty head cold. Â I have found that I can power through a To-Do list like never before. Â My energy is up and stays pretty steady all day. Â I feel better when I get to the gym. Â I am ready to move at any time.
So, if you were contemplating a standing desk after my first post, but you haven’t made the jump yet, I hope this helps. Â I highly recommend standing up. Â Our society has become one of sitting. Â I continue to hear about medical issues associated with sitting. Â We are essentially smashing out vital organs for hours on end. Â So, stand up, stretch it out, and get to work.