i'm a stand-up guy

[jazzfish]

Now that I'm in control of my own work environment, I've started using a standing desk, because that seemed easier than trying to find a desk chair that I liked. I found a Frederik desk from Ikea that seemed like it would do well as a standing desk, and after some frustration got it into a reasonable configuration.

The first day of standing around, last Monday, was pretty bad. I broke out my emergency barstool around one in the afternoon. Tuesday was even worse. My legs ached, my knees ached, my lower back ached... I took a long bath and got uilos to rub at my legs before bed and that helped some.

And then Wednesday... wasn't so bad. It helped that I started standing on a rubber mat instead of a couple of flattened cardboard boxes; the hardwood floor was killing me. More, though, I just started getting used to it. Now it's not so bad at all. I may even be enjoying it.

I'm certainly enjoying how much more I get up and walk around. I'm more likely to take a quick walk through the apartment, over to the window or just around to stretch my legs a bit. I don't feel like I'm constantly fiddling with my chair or keyboard tray trying to find a setup that doesn't strain my shoulder. Plus, the angle is just right that I can look out my window and see the ravens drinking from the fountain ten stories below.

I still have the emergency barstool; it's been useful for conference calls and waiting for things to install and just generally taking a break. I bought a nicer floor mat from Amazon to replace the useful-but-hard-on-my-soles industrial one that uilos brought me from the hardware store. And I'm considering getting some sort of foot rest to put under the desk so I can shift my weight a little more easily.

I'll give it a full month before making a final decision but so far I think I like it.

Comments

[pictsy.livejournal.com]

Oh man. Flashback to my horrific experiences standing at a cash register at Hechinger for nine hours a day. We didn't have any nice cushioning to stand on, though.

[skreidle.livejournal.com]

Now, add a low-profile treadmill.. :)

[jmax315.livejournal.com]

Old trick from the days before bars had stools:¹ find something to put one foot up on sometimes. It's amazing how much more comfortable this makes standing for long periods.

¹No, this is not from personal memory. I'm not that old.

desk?

[darkfyre_muse]

So I am putting together the home office with hope of actually pursuing howe-work. In that light, what are you using for a desk?