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Ask HN: Any advice on standing desk use?

10 points by takizawa11 ↗ HN
I'd like to use my standing desk daily and for a long stretch of time. My tendency is still to use my fancy standing desk as a sitting desk! I don't think that I'm alone in that regard.

Do you have any tips or habits to suggest?

11 comments

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rawgabbit
Wear comfortable shoes such as crocs when using your standing desk; uncomfortable shoes make for tired feet and your standing desk a sitting-down desk.
giantg2
You can also use an anti-fatigue mat.
quickthrower2
I used one when in the office. Listen to your body and stand when you feel you need to stand. If that is never then maybe just stand for the first 10 minutes each day and build up from there.
giantg2
You can set a reminder on your computer or phone to stand for 5 or 10 minutes per hour. I think fit bits a d smartwatches can do this based on activity level.

You could also use an activity to indicate when to stand. For me, I would stand for any online meeting (if back-to-back then I alternate).

karmakaze
I got a height-adjustable self-righting mushroom stool that can quickly height adjust. I found that finding the right height setting is a good intermediate between standing and sitting. Almost standing but definitely leaning. I can stay in this position all day but it's not particularly comfortable as either sitting or standing. I sometimes lower the mushroom stool but it's least comfortable for sitting, too much concentrated weight pressure. I thought I could use a huge yoga ball but glad I didn't that wouldn't have worked as well.

I keep a small wooden chair around for if I'm really too tired to balance. But it's not comfortable either so I don't use it unless I really need to. Wearing slippers seems to be enough, but maybe I'm not noticing/attributing any back pains to it.

der_philipp
Does someone of you use a "walking" treadmill for under the desk? I'd be highly interested and think about buying one.
akulbe
I use one, and HIGHLY recommend it over just standing still.

My theory is that standing still and sitting still are opposite sides of the same problem. (not enough movement)

They just affect different parts of the body.

Moving > standing still.

it took me a solid month to get used to walking and typing… the key is start with SLOW movement

Here's a picture of my setup: https://photos.app.goo.gl/9sDPaEBD9nmApv4T9

der_philipp
Some small questions: 1. Those pads for your wrists / hands: did you always use them or explicitly for stand/walk usage? If yes: What are those and would you recommend them? 2. What is the sound/volume of your threadmill? 3. I live in Europe and the threadmill you have is mighty expensive. Would you recommend it and what is the advantage over a cheaper alternative (like the xiamoi walkingpad)?
akulbe
1. I do a lot of shopping on Amazon. Look for "Grifiti" brand. 8" pad for use with the mouse, 17" pad for use with the keyboard. I use them all the time, even before I got the treadmill. Don't skimp on what you need to maintain good posture and ergonomics!

2. This one is hard to quantify. Senses (like hearing) are so subjective. There's definitely a sound to it, but it's not obnoxious. When I am on phone calls, the other folks can hear it, but they say it sounds like the sound of a washing machine in the distance. https://www.dropbox.com/s/diutjkdudu5edq1/treadmill_sound.m4... I recorded about 25 seconds of my walking. When I play it back, I can barely hear it in the recording… so I'm not sure how useful that'll be. Note the position of my mic on the left side of my desk, relative to where the treadmill is positioned.

3. Yes. LifeSpan Fitness stuff is certainly not the cheapest. I wanted to go for durability, and I was willing to pay the price for it. I have had this treadmill for 4 years and use it 5 days a week, minimum. I keep the belt lubricated. I would do some research on brands/models that are in your budget, and focus on the durability factor. The brand doesn't matter. You just want to keep moving and have a treadmill that will last you a long time.

I have an email in my profile. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me! I'm also happy to hop on a video call with you, if you want to listen for yourself.

der_philipp
Thank you very much, the picture and especially the sound file helps a lot in terms of coming to a decision. I will try to reach more people who are using a walking desk - but especially our longterm-ish experience helps a lot.
ystad
Alternate sitting and standing. The key is to move and not stick to one posture. I keep a bottle of water handy. If you drink water regularly it forces you to take bathroom breaks, forcing you to move.

Try to distribute your weight evenly to both legs. Don't lean on one leg too much. Try to engage core muscles.

Stand on a mat that has some cushioning.

This is subjective. Eye direction looking straight matches top of the monitor.

Elbow at right angle to keyboard mouse