I sit for up to 9 hours a day, and it’s killing me. It’s time for a change!
Everything in moderation, that’s the key to a happy and healthy lifestyle, but too often we forget this rule when we choose our working posture. I have been in the business sector since 1995, and the majority of it was sitting down. I’ve noticed over the years a severe change in my overall health and well-being. Most of it I can contribute to simply growing old, but I’ve started noticing a few things that shouldn’t be happening.
Shortly after sitting down, I begin to get fatigued, you know, that one eye open, blurry vision kind of feeling. Often times I will have to urge to go to the bathroom, but once I’m up, the feeling goes away. I also notice my legs become tight and painful over time.
Standing, however, is completely different. I feel more awake, I’m able to breathe better, and the only discomfort I feel is a tightness in my knees, and my feet will sometimes tingle. Both of these symptoms can be eliminated by simply moving around, which I tend to do when I have a good beat going and am engrossed in my work. Standing at work is nothing new to me.
A number of years ago, during my previous employment, I converted my “desk” (which was merely a shelf bolted to the wall) to a standing desk. This was done by placing a shelf above my work surface, and my monitors would go on another shelf at eye level. This worked well, except for not being able to sit down. I had a drafting chair, which was tall enough, but the original desk got in the way of my knees. During that period I was going through a daily discomfort with my body, which I found out later was related to stress.
Fast forward to 2017, and I’ve been in my new position for 5 years. During that time I didn’t have the ability to create a sit/stand working situation. I was able to get ahold of a three-monitor stand, which made the pain of sitting all day a little more bearable.
In September I purchased a sit/stand riser.
The Rocelco DADR Premium Height Adjustable Sit/Stand Desk Computer Riser was the ticket. I paired it with a dual monitor desk mount, which makes it very ergonomic, and it looks good on my desk! I’ve been using it daily for a while now, usually in a two-hour sit/stand increment. I’ve noticed after a while I tend to get some discomfort in my legs, but a little moving about helps that. My tired feeling is non-existent, and I’ve been able to focus much better during my standing periods. I do use a simple anti-fatigue mat, which helps a lot.
Naturally, it’s not OK to stand all the time, so by sitting for a couple of hours, I give my body a chance to rest and recoup. Standing is my time to really focus on projects and make some headway. the major issue with this configuration is the monitors. When I’m sitting down, the monitors are up a little high. Thankfully this hasn’t caused any neck strain yet, but I notice I’m sitting up more in my seat, so no more slouching pain!
Overall I can say this was a good purchase. If I had the ability to go to a powered sit/stand desk, I totally would. The risers are nice but having my entire desk raise up would be much better in the long run.