Standing Desks in the News

One of the great evangelists for standing desks is Donald Rumsfeld. He had this to say in a recent Seattle Post Intelligencer article:

Rumsfeld was asked whether he still uses his famous “standing desk,” which looks like an elevated, massive artist’s easel and has no chair.

“I use the stand-up desk … which is not to say I’m not getting soft also,” he teased. “I’ve done it since 1969, when I went into the Cabinet [and] resigned from Congress. And I feel better standing up much of the day. One advantage is if people come to see you and you’re standing up, they tend to stand up, and the meetings are shorter and shorter.”

Read the full Donald Rumsfeld article here

Standing Desks in the News

Scientists at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana analyzed the lifestyles of more than 17,000 men and women over about 13 years, and found that people who sit for most of the day are 54 percent more likely to die of heart attacks.

Read More at Men’s Health.

Keep Moving at Work

Have you ever been to a concert where you had to stand for a good two hours or so? It hurt your legs, didn’t it? Now – think about a time you went to a concert where you were inclined to move, dance, walk around to visit with friends. Did you have much less leg pain?

One way to keep the standing desk scenario from tuckering you out on a daily basis is to move at your desk. I do it by listening to danceable music.

Currently I’m listening to Girl Talk’s All Day. Download the full Girl Talk All Day Album right here. You’ll have over an hour of danceable music to get yourself started.

I’m making a “Music to Stand to” playlist – what music do you work to? I’d love suggestions for the playlist.

Don’t You Get Tired Standing All Day?

A question I get a lot is “Don’t you get tired standing all day?”

I usually respond with “I’m not standing all day.” And I think that’s a key concept in using a standing desk – it’s the option to stand that makes the difference. Do I dogmatically stand for 8 hours a day at least? No! I take breaks and sit down – usually for no more than 15 minutes at a time now. With a tall stool you have the flexibility to just take a load off and then when you’re ready to stand again, it’s an easy switch.

I take a 1 hour lunch break, too. During this time, I walk the half mile back to my place, cook lunch and sit to eat for about 30 minutes. This break is one of my favorite times of the day. When lunch is over, I walk back to work and I’m ready to stand again! Take the standing and sitting in moderation – listen to what your body is telling you to do.

Additionally, moving around while standing is important. I put on music that makes me want to dance (even a little) and I move around a bit instead of standing stick straight. Bending the knees and resting one leg at a time by propping it up is a great way to minimize leg fatigue. I’ll have a full post on this topic soon.

Got a question? I’d love to answer it. Leave a comment.

Standing Desk: Ikea

One of my standing desks is from IKEA. Below is the picture of the actual desk. After that is all the info you’ll need to create this exact standing desk for yourself.

The standing desk part is actually an IKEA Leksvik bar table
$129.00

Image Credit: IKEA

And I combine this with a IKEA Franklin bar stool.
$25.00

Photo Credit: IKEA

For added height, these 99 cent vases make great standing desk risers

Why it works
This desk combination provides the best of both worlds. You can rest when you’d like – either by sitting or by putting your feet up on the middle desk bar. When you’re sitting, you can rest your feet on the stool’s bar. And if you decide a standing desk isn’t for you – you’ve got versatile furniture you can use during your next barbecue or game night.