Arstechnica Article: Taking a Stand: My Experience Working at an Elevating Desk

[Mr_You 10]

I thought others might find this Arstechnica article informative...

 

Taking a stand: my experience working at an elevating desk

 

"As a professional journalist and software development hobbyist, I generally spend between eight and eighteen hours a day using a computer. This effectively keeps me chained to my desk most of the day, and sometimes late into the night. To combat the physical discomfort of prolonged computer use, I reinvented my home office environment with a focus on ergonomics.

 

The first thing I did was purchase a better chair—that's easily the most significant thing that you can do to make your office life better. After that, I started to look at desks. Last year, I became intrigued by the idea of a standing desk—a surface that is high enough to accommodate working from a standing position. Further research into the subject convinced me to buy a height-adjustable desk that can elevate to a standing position. After using it for most of the year, I doubt I'll ever want to go back to sitting all day."

[Tradewinds 12]

I custom built my own monitor stand for my trading. I don't need a desk. My monitor stand has a built-in shelf to hold my laptop and three other monitors. The stand is on wheels. It took me a while to design and build it, but it's great. I don't sit in an office chair. Chairs don't agree with my back. If I sat in any kind of a chair all day, I'd have back pain. I think that desks and chairs are ancient technology. :rofl:

[zdo 20]

Yep, trading on your feet is an ‘edge’. My workstation desks are at about 40 inches with the monitor shelf at the back elevated enough to put the monitor centers just below eye level. Had them custom made. Also, long ago, bought a (way over priced at the time) tall custom ergonomic drafting chair from an outfit in Sausalito CA that is adjustable in almost any dimension. I keep the chair back far enough so that I have to stand up to get to a mouse… puts me on my feet most of the time in my trading sessions.

 

Working on your feet will trigger some holistic adjustments and may require developing some strange habits – rocking, posture awareness, dancing, mini pacing, stretching, standing yoga postures, taking a knee , collapsing into fetal position , etc - but it sure is conducive to flow and pays off big time

 

I considered (and tested a little bit) adjacent exercise machines but for me it was too ‘mindless’ and ‘splitting’… I choose to go away from desk to do healthful first body work…

 

So re "I think that desks and chairs are ancient technology"

Me too ...but I do still have a regular height desk and chair sort of caddy corner across the room...

 

 

 

All the best

 

zdo