Yet, sitting around is something we get plenty of practice at. Reading and writing and creating on a computer makes for big chunks of sedentary time. If you’re reading this post right now, are you sitting down? How long have you been sitting?
Friday, September 26, 2014
A User's Guide To Standing While You Work
Yet, sitting around is something we get plenty of practice at. Reading and writing and creating on a computer makes for big chunks of sedentary time. If you’re reading this post right now, are you sitting down? How long have you been sitting?
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This is a really scary thought; how bad it to be sitting at a computer for over 5 hours a day? Well everything I read, including this article confirms the severity of not taking proper breaks. To me, these are just continuing signs that I should never work in an office setting which is nothing new. I was surprised by the very first line of this article which says that sitting at a desk for five or more hours a day is like smoking a pack and a quarter of cigarettes, which sounds ridiculous to me. Smoking that much guarantees cancer and/or heart problems. Sitting in a chair that much juts guarantees back problems and limbs temporarily falling asleep. Also this article does not really go into great depth of the reason for this comparison. The only thing this article really provides is the advice to stand every 20 minutes which is interesting because I am all about taking breaks, that’s how I stay calm and focused, but that is A LOT of breaks. I will, however try It tonight on the four hour work call.
I agree with Simone in that I'm not sure how real the comparison of cigarettes to sitting at a desk is. I have a hard time believing that people who smoke a pack and a quarter a day have just as many health problems as someone who takes care of themselves outside of their desk job sitting for over five hours a day. I would happily see more detailed research on this topic, as well as a list of things this creates. I will say, the concept of planning your to-do list around where you're going to work that day sounds wonderful and is something I like to try to do on the weekends, but it is kind of hard to do during the day when you need to be at school. They all sort of feel about the same and are about 20 steps apart. It sounds easy to just head over to the library, but usually the library is packed and it's hard to find a desk to work at. I suppose it is doable if you're determined enough though.
I believe that this article is true because I feel more focused if I stand up. I cannot sit in one place for that long and standing up every so often is very helpful. I am going to try and be conscious about standing up as often as I can. It is difficult during a long class, but I often move around in my chair and sit in different positions. It is good to get away from your work for a minute or two and walk around to let your mind relax. It is not good for your body to sit all day and not move. The blood flow definitely helps with thinking and focusing. I am standing right now as I write this.
Sitting five hours equals smoking 1 1/4 packs of cigarettes is a huge statement and probably applies to many people in America. Although sitting isn't the best on your body, I don't think it could compare to smoking. If that fact was true then we would have already known and people would have acted sooner. Its always good to stretch your muscles when working and sit in a proper configuration to allow the most comfort. I don't know how effective moving locations throughout the day to breakup work. I find myself to get into the zone and moving locations would break that focus and take longer for me to get back. I think what the article has to say is valid, but perhaps a tad extreme.
If sitting on the computer equals 1.25 packs of cigarettes, then why don't I have lung cancer? I have a huge problem with making analogies like these. Sure, sitting at your computer and smoking both have negative effects on your health, but are they really on the same plane? That being said, the core of this article is really focused on taking breaks, something that I can't decide if we need more or less of. I do agree with doing your homework in different places. Being without a central studio this year, I don't go as far as to plan my time, but I look at my homework and decide what I can do where. Is it focus-heavy like intense reading? Second floor hallway. Is it creative? Probably headed over to design 1 or 2 to collaborate. Is it reading a short story? Save it for quick breaks in between classes. Is it a huge project with supplies? Then, work on it at home. That's how I've planned out my homework this year, and at week 5/6, it's working pretty well for me. Nevertheless, I take a good amount of breaks. Now that I think about it, after I get up and stretch, I'm much more likely to want to get back to work than I am if I just sit and power through it. It's a mental break as well as a physical one.
Definitely going to have to touch on the fact that using 1.25 packs of cigarettes as a comparison for not standing often enough is a little ridiculous...
Aside from that, though, this is pretty rough news for a lot of us, especially those who spend all day at an assigned desk in 33. I wonder what would happen if we attempted "Workspace Popcorn," switching desks every time we complete a task. That said, I think the article makes a lot of assumptions about the capability of people to move within their workspace. What if I work in my own cubby and don't have a conference room to go to? What if, once I've clocked in, I'm not meant to leave until my lunch hour? What if I'm a freshman design student who can only draft at her specific drafting table? I think the article sort of criminalizes us in unfair ways; sometimes we just have to be sitting in the same place to work.
Recently this has already made it into my awareness, and something I would really consider. I noticed about a year ago when one of my faculty had a standing desk. It seemed comfortable and well of course fancy because his had a elevator build in. I really like the standing desk and think I would totally go for it, next time I had the ability to have my own independent desk. It is important we were made to move and not just sit still.
The research is interesting and quite challenging to get moving, especially the smoking fact. That actually scares me because I know personally what happens to people who smoke. I do really wonder though what they are talking about when they say sitting can be as bad as smoking. Mouth Cancer? Lung Cancer? Slowed healing of teeth, gums, and mouth? Quickened aging? And on and on and on it goes. Just think it is a really bold statement and possibly a scare tactic.
I followed the link to Dr. Agus's Nike presentation on fitness and it still doesn't explain how five hours of sitting is as bad a smoking a pack of cigarettes, which to me makes the statement only a hook, not useful information. The article overall is very useful, breaking down the stand, sit, move debate into clear categories. I know I'm guilty of sitting in one place for at least an hour at time between walking around while I'm working on an essay or reading. I like the simple idea of setting a phone timer to get up and walk. The idea that I need to walk every 20 minutes makes me feel better about occasionally getting up to grab a snack from the kitchen...
The discussion of standing desks is much more helpful than similar articles elsewhere. Although I like the idea of trying a standing desk, but after a long day at school I'm pretty sure I'd want to sit down. It's a useful idea to remember for post-college however. Whenever David Holcomb's door is open and he's working, I've noticed he uses a standing desk, which makes sense because I would guess he spends much of his time managing productions from in meetings and at his desk.
Like many healthier options in life, all of this seems easier said than done when it comes to the workplace and even school. For example, if you're working on a big project that requires lots of thought and a meticulous process, it would be incredibly counter-productive to stand up and walk around/get adjusted to a standing desk. Furthermore, it seems like getting readjusted to a new workplace at every task is counter-productive as well since you need time to get back into the zone of working. I'm not saying that standing every so often during the work day shouldn't be done, but I wish this article had offered break suggestions that were more condusive to working on big projects without getting yourself out of the zone.
I have already read a lot of articles advocating standing desks because of the negative health effects of sitting for hours at a time, but I don’t remember ever reading about the frequent standing up thing. I suppose I knew that instinctively, because I definitely get up a lot when I work, although probably not every twenty minutes. I drink a lot of water, so I frequently have to get up and walk from stu tech to a water fountain to refill my water bottle, and I end up walking around without needing to make myself do it. It definitely is easy to get stuck sitting at a desk for hours on end working on an assignment, and for a lot of people here the alarm might just be a good idea. Even for reasons other than staying healthy, moving around is great because it’s a good way to clear your mind for a bit, and when you come back to your computer screen there’s a good chance you’ll have a fresh perspective and will get work done more quickly and effectively.
I'm not sure how you can really correlate the health problems related to smoking and the health problems related to sitting but I definitely believe that sitting for long periods of time would be hazardous to your health over a long period of time. What I do like about this article is how easy the solution is. Even if it does not stop all problems standing up for a couple minutes every 20 minutes is not a hard task. If the articles statistics are right, convincing people to move around just a little bit should not be that hard. And introducing it into the workplace could be a relatively easy process.
This is an incredibly interesting analysis. However, I have absolutely no clue how they decided that sitting is equivalent to smoking cigarettes. I did like how they recommended standing desks though. I'm not sure if I could ever commit to never sitting again while I work, however, for health-freaks this may be the "no-more-sitting" solution they've been looking for their whole lives. One thing the article does is provide a good level of motivation to keep moving while sitting at your desk, at the very least.
I really like the "workstation popcorn" idea. By changing the environment around you as you work instead of going to the same place every time would (I imagine) increase your attention levels so you can keep concentrated on your work instead of dozing off in the same boring go-to study space. The only thing that kind of irks me about this article is that it, while totally helpful, does a lot of product placement for pricy new versions of things that either already exist or could be made for cheap- in a way saying "Start being healthier by being cheap, then continue being healthy by buying more expensive things." But I have to admit, the active chairs sure do look like a lot of fun. This is definitely wonderful information for students like us who spend a significant amount of time crouched over a desk looking at a computer for hours on end. This is a great reminder that even being a part of corporate America doesn't mean that you can't be active, and that you don't have to go to a gym just to work out.
What if you installed a program on your computer that would lock you out every 30 minutes until you hit a networked button that was a two minute walk away from your desk. Ok, maybe once an hour to not be overly disruptive. On the other hand, I wonder how long it would take your average desk jockey to find a way to disable or game a system like that. It's hard to make an adjustment like this to your workflow. I think it's especially hard to sell this concept to employers who are trying to get every ounce or work out of their workers. It would important to link standing breaks to productivity, not just personal health, something this article fails to do. Also, I have to point out that very few workers have the option of doing the "popcorn" thing, bouncing around from coffee shop to office to coffee shop again. If you're going to try to proselytize a new way of working, try not to sound too disconnected from the way most people have to work. It sounds out of touch and makes your good arguments less potent.
I knew that sitting was bad for me- I just didn't appreciate how bad. I'm not sure if I believe that it has as bad of an effect as it says that it does. One suggestion I have heard is to move my work off campus, to force me to move and be active occasionally. Working in the studio every day, at the same desk in the same place, is beginning to drive me crazy. I really am beginning to appreciate short breaks, if simply to get out of the studio. Taking short laps around the building, walking to the bathroom or back, all of these things refresh me, and prevent me from going crazy. I have also heard of a walking desk, with the same setup as a standing desk but with a treadmill attached.
Meh. For years this research has been coming out praising the messiah that is the standing desk. Maybe I'm just stubborn, but I really like sitting. It's just really distracting for me to try to concentrate while standing up. Granted, I understand the value in standing up every once in a while to take a break from the computer, but trying to work while actively standing just seems a little ridiculous to me. I once worked a summer internship where the CEO not only had an adjustable standing desk, but also a treadmill, so that he could walk while working on the computer. He ended up spending most of his time in an adjacent office where he could sit..
I say let me sit, and bring on the lung cancer.
With a lot of the "advice" articles on this blog, I find the information less than completely useful, or rather obvious, but I actually think that this one does a really good job breaking down the benefits of standing intermittently while working and the consequences of not doing so. I come from a fairly hands on technical background so when, for the first time, this summer I had a desk job, where i was sitting for most of the day, I really felt these things kick in. I was constantly getting up and walking around, not because I didnt like the work, but because I worked better if I moved around some.
Granted the smoking comparison is a little extreme, it is true that in the US people have become more sedentary. This article does a good job of bringing peoples attention to that and posing some possible solutions. I agree with Ben that the standing desk is not necessarily the best or only solution. I don't mind standing and working, but I do also want to sit. I think the bigger problem is how much sitting we do, not only while at work, but just moving between places. Most places in the US involve sitting for a while in a car and driving as opposed to walking or other public transportation that involves more movement (granted this varies by city, but is mostly true). And people are shopping online from their computer, so more sitting. Not to say I'm not guilty of these things too, but I'd say it's all of these and more that are causing the issues.
While some of the generalizations in this article are kind of ridiculous, the article does make a good point about sitting for long periods of time. I've actually noticed that I have the opposite problem, especially in a studio setting. I stand while I work and sometimes I will stand for so long, bending over my desk, that my back starts to hurt. I need to tell myself to sit down sometimes because I'll strain myself from standing so often. In architecture I would tire myself out from standing so much. Granted, their desks were also a lot taller and we sat on crappy stools, so standing was the more comfortable option. I guess now that I've set up a work station in my house and have a chair and table that are not six feet off the ground my health is going to take a turn for the worse. Just kidding. I'll definitely make sure to get up from my chair to run a a mile or smoke a cigarette so that my health doesn't deteriorate.
Much like Tenton says, I typically find most of the articles that are posted to the blog regarding "advice" to be kind of sub-par, but this one does an excellent job on describing, explaining, and comparing in such a way that isn't totally obvious or outrageous. As a generation, we do in fact sit way too much during our day working, and I could see how this would have quite the adverse effect on our health. Standing is something I already do quite a bit, but after reading this article I see that it is definitely something I can incorporate into much of my day without really trying all too much. There are plenty of opportunities to do something while standing instead of sitting.
Will I really get lung cancer by sitting for five hours a day? Really? I also don't really understand why standing 8 hours a day is any different from sitting for the same time period with regards to physiological problems. I have worked quite a bit of retail, and stood for at least as long consecutively as I sit now on a normal day, and I guarantee that I had more back problems, leg problems, shoulder problems and foot problems than I do currently, which I understand is an anecdote and not statistical analysis.
I think the most important part of the equation is the change of position, not whether your legs are straight or at right angles. I'm all for taking breaks, working in a variety of locations/positions, and making sure you move around enough, but giving everyone a standing desk is not going to solve the problem, and certainly won't lower incidences of heart attacks and lung cancer! The solution seems to lie in trying to make sure you have a set up to accommodate a variety of working positions throughout the day, to prevent the fatigue that comes from being in the same body position for long periods of time, whatever that position may be.
I think that something to be careful of is not thinking that standing and working is the best idea ever. In OSHA we talked about ergonomics, and how there's a common misconception about standing being better than sitting, and the new age revolution of getting a standing desk and how it can be just as harmful as a sitting one. I think the balance is important and breaks are important. But don't equate something like that to smoking. It's a pretty extreme comparison, and one that I doubt is actually supported by any kind of medical research. I definitely think that people with desk jobs should make sure they are remaining active while slaving away in a chair all day. But lets not get crazy.
I love articles that focus on our everyday health. It really gives us a different perspective on how we live life. This article in particular seems to be talking to the workaholics or the lazy. Yes it's stupid to think that while you're working on an assignment or watching videos, every twenty minutes you should stand up for two minutes so you don't destroy your health. But it's important to keep in mind what you are doing to your body when you're just sitting there hours on end. I always try to stay as active as I possibly can, but it can get really hard. So I enjoy that I can read articles like this so I may focus on my health, understand what I'm doing to my body while I sit there for hours, and then given an option to do something about it.
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