Have you heard the quote ‘sitting is the new smoking’? It seems like an odd comparison at first until you consider how many hours a day Americans spend sitting–surely that can’t be good for us, right?
Let’s look at a typical, pre-COVID day: You get in your car to sit during your 30+ minute commute. You then sit at your desk for hours on end and get back in your car to reverse the commute. You get home, exhausted from work and slump on your couch for the evening to recoup from your mentally taxing day. Does that routine sound familiar? Even if your “commute” is from your bedroom to your living room or home-office right now, you’re still spending much of the day in the sitting position.
Many of us have jobs that lock us inside with computer monitors at a desk for many hours. On one hand, you could make a drastic job change to another industry that keeps you on your feet more often. That’s likely not an option for most of us. The good news is, we can make some modifications to our habits within the current parameters we’re working within.
Most of us are aware that sitting for long periods of time isn’t great for our bodies. Lo and behold a solution: the standing desk! If sitting is the new smoking, I’ll just work all day while standing. Problem solved…? I wish it were that easy.
Here’s the issue: sitting with poor posture can cause low back, neck and shoulder pain. Standing with bad posture can yield the exact same issues. If you had bad posture while sitting, it’s natural to repeat those patterns when standing.
For those of you with standing desks, do any of these look familiar?
Bottom line: you’ll bring the habits you’ve developed from sitting all day into standing all day as well. When you’ve grown accustomed to sitting all day and then immediately transition into standing instead your muscles and joints do not have the endurance, strength, capacity, or stamina to tolerate hours of standing. So how do you adjust to your new standing desk without exacerbating bad habits or pain?
The most practical approach is to mix up and change positions throughout the day. Being locked into stagnant postures can be detrimental to us when we don’t deviate from them often. I recommend having a hybrid sit-stand desk which allows you to easily toggle between good ergonomics (a fancy word for your efficiency in your working environment) for sitting and standing alike. A few practical tips on adjusting properly to your standing desk:
Elbows at a relaxed, 90 degree angle.
Strategies for adjusting to a standing work model
Options for your stance at your standing desk
Find a strategy that works and don’t be afraid to experiment with work rhythm and flow.
One thing I personally notice when working at a standing desk is that I naturally “fidget” more… and that’s a good thing. I find myself naturally flowing through all of the different standing positions listed above. By cycling through these different positions I allow my body to respond to indicators that I’m starting to feel tired or stiff. When you use this shifting practice you’re training your body to move throughout the day without missing a beat in answering your emails.This increased movement is half the benefit of the standing desk. You’re also increasing blood flow–always a good thing–and even creating a slight increase in metabolic demands (i.e. more calories burned–but no, this doesn’t count as your workout for the week).
So…is a standing desk worth it? Like with most things–only if you use it correctly.
If you’re experiencing chronic pain that’s heightened when you’re standing or sitting all day, book a consultation with me for an assessment on your posture and habits.
This article originally posted on Dr. Zack’s personal blog Beard in Motion.
Disclaimer: The content in this post is for general educational and entertainment purposes. Every human body is different and unique and may require a custom approach or modification. This content should not be seen as medical or health advice. You should not self-diagnose, please see me or another licensed practitioner for individual healthcare needs.