By now, most of you have heard that sitting is the new smoking and how bad sitting is for you. I have had a standing desk for about seven years now and cannot fathom returning to a seated desk. Even when working from Starbucks, I look for a tall table where I can stand and do my work. Does this mean I stand all day long? Not always, but I do stand for most of it.
Rather than be redundant by extolling on the health virtues of standing, I refer you to this infographic. The health aspect is a no-brainer and is starting to become widely known. More and more companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and AOL (are they still alive?) are offering them as alternatives. The Draugiem Group did a study (albeit small) and found that productivity increased by approximately 10%. What I found even more interesting was that the urgency to complete a task increased if you knew what the outcome should be, but for creative endeavors, like writing, it was a block. I find this to be true for myself. When writing a blog post, I tend to want to sit. Leo Babauta stated the same. Having the option is important.
If your boss won't spring for a standing desk or you can't put up the cash right now to buy one yourself, I recommend moving your laptop to a table or bar or stacking it on top of books during the day. There are also great tutorials on how to make your own for cheap. Start in short intervals, maybe 25 minutes, and return to sitting. At first, standing all day may be too hard for you, but eventually, you get used to it. It also helps to have something in front of you to rest one foot on to change positions. I have a drum throne (much better quality and way cooler than a regular stool) as my chair when I need it, and the foot ring is perfect for me to prop my leg on.
Here's a video of my standing desk and healthy home office.
