Over the past few months I've tried to sit less. When I lecture or lead discussions, I tend to move around a lot. However, on the days that I don't teach, I often spend 12 hours parked on a chair or on the couch after my run or before and after yoga. I can easily spend four hours sitting, surrounded by books while writing a lecture or working on an article, and get up only once or twice for water. The scholar gig has lots of rewards, but it is a pretty sedentary lifestyle. (That's one of the reasons that I gained 10 pounds during the final stages of dissertating last year.)
When my mom started having back problems again this winter and then when I threw my back out
while reading in March, I began to think more seriously about how I could arrange a work station that would be better for my posture. However, I didn't want to invest much money into this project. I won't consider an upgrade until I am standing while working for a few hours on a relatively daily basis -- hopefully that will be by the end of the month. Cleaning out my writing desk here recently gave me the opportunity to put a makeshift arrangement into place. I decided to move my writing desk out from the corner of my living room and into the center of the living room dining area. This way it sort of marks the division of the dining room and living room areas and that it is more accessible. Now I have much more room for standing.
For the time being I'm using my old gigantic Dell laptop, several textbooks (now I finally have a use for some of the unsolicited ones that publishers have sent to me), and (after deciding my laptop was still too low) a cardboard box. I like that I can easily slide the books back into the desk and put the box under when I'm done. My goals are to keep this workspace organized and usable and to actually use it. On Saturday I spent two 30 minute increments doing work while standing. Sunday I took the day off after my long run, but yesterday I spent two 45 minute increments grading exams while standing - first at the podium in one of my classrooms and then at my writing desk. I also picked up a balance ball at Target to sit on during non-standing increments. However, I'm pretty sure that I need a bigger one, as I feel like I'm too low to the desk to write comfortably for long.
Either way, I clearly need to work on my balance....
Have you considered a standing desk arrangement? If your career has you sitting most of the day, how do you try to counteract the negative impact of long hours spent in a chair?
I usually just try and take walk breaks during the day when I am working. It helps me feel less lazy and a tad more active
ReplyDeleteI sit in a desk many hours of the day, and to make up for that, I try to get up as much as possible, even to just walk across the floor of the office. And I try to get out and walk somewhere over lunch, too, which happens maybe 50% of the time... I have thought about getting an exercise ball to sit on as I know that is supposed to do wonders for your core...
ReplyDeleteI try to get to the gym on my lunch break to break up the day. I should try out a balance ball sometime.
ReplyDeleteI have a really tall dresser in my bedroom and I try to write while standing in front of it with my lap top on top of it for at least 30 minutes each day. You're so right about the sedentary aspect of things...I'm really grateful right now to be on a small campus in a small town where I can walk everywhere because it's totally saving me from too much sitting.
ReplyDeletexoxo ~ Courtney
http://sartorialsidelines.blogspot.com
So far my standing experiment is going so well that I set it up at school too (students are confused). I have done more than 8 hours at a time, but then all this weekend I just wanted to sleep. My feet got really tired in the beginning. I also have tried to stand in the subway as much as possible too. No more tall, beautiful shoes for me any more. I feel stronger, straighter and more healthy. I'm curious to see how it goes for you.
ReplyDeleteA standing desk isn't an option at my office, though I would probably be able to rig something up once I have a home office next month. I hate sitting all the time, so I get up as often as I can during the day. I take walks to other floors to use the bathroom or fill my water bottle, go to the furthest vending machines when I want to get a snack, and when it's nice out I take at least a mile walk at lunch time.
ReplyDeleteBack when I used to work from home as a translator I was plagued with back problems. I was basically at the computer, super stressed, 12 hours a day. I had a kneelsit for a while and it helped somewhat. I love the balance ball!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been doing this for several months now and there's no going back to a chair! I really love it and spend all of my working (and blogging!) hours standing. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteHey, I just got a balance ball for my desk, so far I think it keeps me a little more alert since if I get sleepy, I'll fall off! I'm going to follow the standing desk idea and I might try it. Our friend RS did both of these things a couple years ago, I guess she's a latent inspiration to me.
ReplyDeleteNow I just need to remember to push my ball under my desk instead of behind me when I'm standing, so that I don't make falling off of or over my ball a daily thing. RS is very inspiring, as are you!
ReplyDeleteYou could keep your tall, beautiful shoes off to the side and slip into them should a sitting occasion arise.... I've been going barefoot or beslippered most of the time since the long winter started and I didn't want to track dirty snow all over the house. I haven't yet figured out a way to make a functional standing situation work for my campus office.
ReplyDeleteLet's keep each other posted.
think i am going to try this
ReplyDeleteI try to get up and stretch every so often when I spend a lot of hours sitting and writing. I also just got one of those balls about a week ago after discovering them at prenatal yoga. They're great and so much more comfortable for me now that I'm really pregnant than the couch in our living room (although it may not sound like it). I learned from our yoga sessions that they come in three sizes - 55, 65, and 75 (?) inches. You want to be able to sit and have your legs/knees be bent at a 90 degree angle. I'm 5'5.5 and the middle size (65 inches) is the best fit for me. But I also have a short torso and slightly longer legs, so someone my same height might fit better on a smaller ball. Do you know what size you picked up at Target?
ReplyDeleteWe ordered ours online to get that specific size as I'm planning to continue using it while pregnant, during birth, and to rock the baby afterwards. Meanwhile, my husband does crunches on it all the time. I haven't used it as a writing chair yet, but now that I've read your post, I'm feeling inspired to try it. Clearly these suckers more than pay for themselves :)S.
The size I currently have is 65 inches. I'm planning to use it for some crunches and ab work, but, after a week of trial, I have decided that I need to go up to the next size for sitting and working. I'm 5'7 and am pretty long waisted, so while I think the 65 inch will be best for working out, the 75 will be better for sitting. I'll pick up a bigger one next time I go to Target.
ReplyDelete