I have a motorised variable health desk at work. It’s incredible. I can sleep at so many different heights and hide behind my monitor. Anyone walking passed assumes I’m working and not dozing or reading a kindle. Gold
Worked in Sweden from 2015-2021, all of the desks in our office of 600 people were electric desks that easily switched from standing to sitting. After getting used to it, totally converted to standing most of the day. Improved my flexibility and reduced my levels of back pain. 👍
I've been using a "poor man's" standing desk for the past 7 years, and love it. What's that? ... just a permanently standing inexpensive desk from Ikea with long legs. If I really want to sometimes sit at my desk, I could pull up a stool. But having a stool nearby makes it too tempting to sit, so I got rid of it altogether. I did originally have a stool 7 years ago, and it was really distracting looking at it and having it nearby. After it broke in 6 months I just decided to not get another one, and that was a smart move. While standing I find I shift my bodyweight a lot, fidget on my feet/legs, unconsciously stretch, etc. So I'm not just standing in a static position all day, which is arguably bad. It only took a couple days of standing all day to get used to it, and after that I really never think about the standing; I just get stuff done on the computer. And a bonus... when on Zoom calls the other party can tell I'm standing, and to them they think I'm not lazy! 😁
I remember the days when I would just use a regular desk then throw in a pile of books for the minitor, keyboard and mouse. I would have to either get rid of the pile or move the monitor on standard space near it. Did not work well for small desks but with a big table it was golden.
Tips for better seated posture: 1. Seat height should allow for vertical shins and horizontal thighs. 2. Desk height should be level with your elbows to make your wrists horizontal. If your chair has armrests, they should therefore be level with the desk, so elbows can rest on them. 3.if possible, adjust seat depth (moving the back rest or seat forward and back) to give lumbar support, keeping back upright. 4. MOST IMPORTANT: Bring your monitor height up to your eyeline. This will keep your head up, stopping a slouch developing. Bonus: get a firm wrist rest. Reduces RSI and actually gives you better purchase on the keys, you may even become a better typist. It will take some getting used to, but well worth it! Take it from someone who suffered with muscle spasms and back pain for years
I got the IKEA version two months ago, love it! I’m 6,3” (short arse) and it goes higher than I need. I’m a cyclist and my hip flexors were shot by sitting so much, this is a game changer, and the low position you highlighted is used to occasionally go into a Chinese sitting position to increase my ankle flexibility. Great choice of topic…couldn’t work and exercise without this now 👍🏼
Hey Mark, the company I work for does office furniture for people and my furniture guy is suggesting as some people further down in the comments that you may want to consider raising your screens so that you don't look down at them. You would be better off looking straight into the center of them and that would put less strain on you neck. Hope you and the family are well.
I'm a 38 year old father of two. Used to be sporty. Then got fat. 15 st 2 pounds. That was my breaking point. Your videos are great and helped me be less fat. I am now just classed as overweight. 5 ft 11 and 13 st 8 pounds. I'll be 12 stone before i know it. I've got into running again big time. Will be pushing on to half marathons and marathons before I know it. Walking a 100k ultra on the south coast in September. My god, walking distances is harder than I thought! Going to pop over to patron and pledge my thanks at some point for the content. Genuinely helped change my life. I like the idea of a standing desk. Can split my time wfh standing up and sitting down. Cant be a bad thing.
We use the same desks at work ( but the regular normal people height type, with normal buttons... 😁); we are a team of Control Engineers . We regularly spent 12 hours+ sat/stood at a desk. It's the job. If we are away from the desk then we are not doing our job. Code is not going to build itself; not yet anyway. Sit for an hour, stand for 2. Or maybe just 2 out of an 8/10/12 hour day. It makes a difference, it really does. You move around a bit. You jiggle. Your back and shoulders WILL feel better. Collaborating with your colleges is easier, standing around screens focusing and just getting stuff done. You are stood up, that's what we do when we are out and about in the real world. If you can get a standing desk, it is a good thing. 👍
Game changer this Mark. John has gone from running 33 mins for 10k to barely able to shuffle down the street at times. All brought about by a job that involves lots of driving and lots of sitting in meetings. Since Covid and more work being done from home this has changed slightly. But the advent of standing desks has revolutionised posture, pain and performance.
I have one of these (thoracic spine injury) and it is really good for preventing slouching when sitting down. It allows me to have the chair high enough to be comfortable (I'm tallish), but then have the desk at chest height so I can sit with my elbows on the desk with by back straight - which means I *can't* slouch. I have it set at the same height when sitting down and standing up. Working at a normal desk seems weird now. Been enjoying watching the channel while trying to sort my weight/fitness out!
Thanks Mark, in the last three days I have bought my partner a fenix 6, a stand up table and zero drop shoes lol. Thanks for all the great content, always look forward to your videos.
Great video! What i learned researching this is that desk hight needs to be so that arms at elbow are at 90 degrees and eye sight level needs to be at the level of the middle of the screen that you are looking at.... Tried it myself and it does make a difference for both... Especially the screen...
Small tip to maximize setup health, raise those monitor's. Looking straight ahead your eyes should fall close to the middle-ish of the screen. Some claim a little higher and some a little lower. But definitely close to the middle.
Last year I built a desk, from scratch, to have a standing desk custom for my height (also 6'6") so it's for standing all the time at. But it is "L" shaped and the shorter side of the desk is for sitting at as needed as well. Gives me both what I need plus extra desk space. Great video!
Exhausted when I got home from work today. I rode my Ducati back and forth yesterday and today. Totaling around 400 miles. I didn't have it in me to work out. But I did. Why? Mark Lewis, that's why. Just trying to be above average. You motivate me. And you make me laugh. Thank you, Ronnie.😊
You've inspired me to hit the memory button to stand up at my desk. I'll try your trick of first thing in the morning and into the end of the day as well to see if I can make it more of a habit to getting right into work. I have an anti-fatigue mat for my feet too, which is nice.
I made a hacked IKEA standing desk unit that went up and down. It's like the toastie maker every few months I'll raise the desk for a week and then it'll go back down and I'll forget it has that functionality. One thing I would say (and I may not be reality of your actual sitting position... because clicks) but I'd recommend putting your monitors on raisers (packs of A4 paper are traditional) having them higher up will guide you to sit more upright.
Thanks for this Mark, bit different from fitness but somehow you have a knack for keeping us entertained. My work are implementing a complete refresh of the office with standing desks (adjustable to seating) so this is useful! Great content
I tried sitting at a desk at work for a while after coming from physical jobs, it made me feel rubbish, I started feeling Ill and tired so I switched to a standup desk and I always feel so much better. I do sit down when I need a break but it’s not often. I’ve been doing this for years now.
I had a combination desk that could sit and stand at my last job. Did lots of research and what I found is that sitting for hours is bad, standing is better, and a mix of both is best. 30 minutes up and 30 minutes down to get the best benefit. Also you should try a "gaming chair" for when you do sit, I recently got one from a company that makes chairs for people up to 6'9" and the firm foam combined with neck and lumbar pillows has been a great improvement for my posture.
When I get a work from home job I’m planning on getting a combination desk. The ones that you can adjust up and down. Stand for awhile, sit for awhile, repeat. Get the health benefits of not sitting all the time but also give the legs a rest especially on hard run or bike days.
Hi Mark. The next logical step is a treadmill belt underneath to wall at slow pace while working. I've read that people cover up to 10km over the course of a day.
This is one area where I have a great deal of personal experience having adopted standing desk use 12 years ago. 5+ days a week, I stand on average more than 8 hours. Some days I may stand double that (not healthy, but that's a different work topic). It's all computer work, of course. Some takeaways: - had been privileged to use high end chairs for most of my career, but in my mid 30s started having lower back and hip problems - had been physically active and energetic most of my life, so aforementioned issues were not likely due to poor lifestyle choices - initially switching to standing, I could only stand 1-2 hours before I needed to sit; that's why either adjustable height desks are good, or having a tall stool nearby is good - within a couple of months, I could stand all day - depending on floor surface, a good thick rubber mat can be very important - standing does not mean like a statue, so general shifting around (or even dancing a bit if nobody is watching) is normal - Ikea makes excellent mechanical/manual and electric adjustable desks for cheap, although they probably aren't tall enough for 6 foot people - if you have kids or people who will interrupt you and require you to leave your desk frequently, it's much less aggravating if you're already standing and can just turn and walk; in contrast, sitting in a chair, having to roll it back, turn, stand up, and then walk... many times a day... is very annoying - very important: appropriate monitor height when standing is significantly different than when sitting. So switching from standing to sitting also means ideally adjusting the monitor height. (When standing, the monitor will usually need to be raised to still be in proper line of sight without causing you to lean you head down/forward too much.) This also means that if you work only on a laptop, a standing desk is no bueno; you will develop neck problems from always looking down. You must get either a laptop stand and separate keyboard or just add a nice big second monitor above and behind the laptop screen. - choosing the right desktop height is important for your arms and hands; wrong choices will cause problems and pain in any or most of your upper body - the only time I have found standing to be bad for me were a couple of periods where I was very serious with weightlifting and also having to walk/bike a lot due to the city I lived in; if you remember what leg growing pains felt like as a kid, this is an unpleasant thing to feel again in your 40s. In those times, I simply had to sit even though I would have preferred to stand. - lastly, once you really adapt to standing, sitting can become uncomfortable or even painful (to the point of being so distracting that you cannot think). It's a bit like if you take someone who is inflexible and make them try to do some yoga sitting position for hours. It takes time and practice for the body to adapt to it. - some people claim you'll develop ugly veins from too much standing, but this has not been the case for me If someone wants to shift to standing instead of sitting, they should take it slow and not have any expectations. This is especially true for people with a lot of extra bodyweight or pre-existing health problems. Check with your doctor yada yada, except in my experience doctors are like tax advisors: they all have different opinions and nobody is absolutely sure who is right.
This is really good to hear. I've always wanted one of these specifically for my back, and I hear you 100% about sitting for a couple of hours before hitting the gym is like priming your back for a shitty workout.
I work from home and sit in front of a PC all day so invested in a Secret Labs Omega chair. It's bloody marvelous and looks cool too. It also sorted out the back ache I was getting.
Eventually upgraded to something similar to yours with the memory function etc.. game changer. For a lunchtime run I'd always be rushing back in to eat something or try to stop sweating before a meeting. Never stretching. Now, with the desk raised, I stretch more regularly that ever... its a habit! I've aslo stopped kicking my sleeping dog who likes to lie at my feet, when I stretch from seated position. Really looking forward to the HYROX training update.
You should try an active chair like the QOR360 Ariel chair. Lets you move while you sit and engages the core muscles. The only chair on the market designed by a US surgeon. I love mine
For a sedentary person standing is exercise, for a sporty endurance person sitting is recovery .....i prefer the stokke varia kneeling chair...awesome!
I got given a sit stand desk at work earlier this year and it’s bloody amazing! Immediately ordered one for the home office at the end of the first week.
Standing stationary for long periods can make the lower legs pretty stiff and kind of 'pumped' I 'upgraded' by putting an old treadmill underneath and walk at 0.5 mph just to keep the blood flowing.
I hurt my back a few years ago and took the doors off a cupboard so I could stand and carry on with work as it was too painful to sit for long periods. I was exhausted for the first week. I would say you still need to watch your posture. If you lean or stand with twisted hips I'd expect that can have an adverse impact
I use a cheap on-desk standing adapter at home and electric adjustable height desk at work. I find that, especially after a morning/lunchtime run, my hamstrings get tight when sitting and that adjusting position is great help with general stiffness
You should definitely look into Katy Bowman and Tony Riddle. I have my laptop on a laptop tray and go from sitting on the floor to putting it on my dining table to stand up.
I have a standing desk and can testify that holding the button is a hassle and therefore I sit most the time. Its awful I know! I did start this video sitting and am now standing though so my back thanks you.
I've had an electric standing desk at home with and work for 10 years and I have monitors on a riser so my eyes are inline with the middle of the screen. I hardly ever sit down. Biggest thing for me is no tension in my back and neck that I used to get sitting. No matter how hard you try you invariably end up slouching
Another great video mate. It feels like a random journey sometimes the topics you cover. But they are always interesting and funny, and I generally walk away with something. Keep up the great work and thanks for your efforts. Paul.
I can work from home every day, the only reason I go to the office 2-3 times a week is because of the standing desks I can use there. It's a game changer.
So if you are standing and doing nothing but staring at a screen, typing on a keyboard and clicking a mouse, how is that so much more active than sitting down and doing the same? The key is you need to be active. Do ten squats every ten minutes. You could do that at either a sitting or standing desk and be more active than just sitting or standing there. The wandering around has been key for you. Glad it helps you. I will agree that sitting down after a running work out absolutely messes my leg muscles about even if I warm down. So having watched the video I see more benefit now.
Totally agree with everything said - mirrors my experience. I also think that standing is a more natural position than sitting if you're on a Zoom/Teams call talking to people.
I had rubbish posture so I got a standing desk with a anti-fatigue mat...dunno if I stood too long but I ended up with plantar fasciitis, guess my rubbish posture followed me to standing. I will have to sort that out before I blame standing 😅
I can't believe you forgot to wear the Ray Ban sunglasses when you hoped on the bike😎 leather jacket even. Seriously though, I have many issues with my back and this was a good insight. 👍
I have one of the desk-mounted ones you described, and although I used it enthusiastically at the start, it now has too much cable salad coming out the back so raising and lowering it becomes a very precarious procedure, with a constant fear of something getting yanked off. I suppose the max height setting might be useful if you happen to want to do any handwriting/drawing instead of typing?
Nice I don't have a desk at work as I'm an electrician 😁 but I have seen a few guys that stream using standing desks as they could sit for 6 to 8 hours straight.
Great video Mark! Though I have been taught to keep the top of my monitors in line with my eyesight, not sure if that was the case for you when you were sitting. Anyway, what is the contraption on the wall behind your monitor? Silver/grey thing
It’s on the list. The problem is it’s quite hard to work out what benefits have come from it versus my general training. I’m currently working on some measurable metrics to report back on
I have one and use a ball (no chair contraption containing it) for sitting, but this is the kick in the pants reminder that "Yeah dude, you should be standing too." Thanks and up voted
Aaaaa ... all this is too simple. How fit we are, how heavy we are is the consequence of many, many decisions over days. Take the stairs or the elevator, walk to get some groceries, to office instead of driving door to door, work standing instead of sitting in a comfy chair, cook instead of waiting on the couch for the order to arrive. One thing: insignificant. Many ways to be more active, burn more calories, use your body outside of intended exercise, and learn to have healthy active behavior: priceless. For most people, not athletes, this NEAT part is small, too small, but it should and can be much bigger making it easier to hold/lose weight and stay fit. One standing desk will not make you slim. But is one of many small changes that will.
The problem is you can start to slouch when you are standing at the desk. Your desk goes high enough for your keyboard, but your screen needs to be much higher so you can stand up straight the top of the screen is at eye level when you stand up military straight. Youll screw your neck or shoulder working like this for months. You can also get birkenstock arch guiding slippers so that your feet and knees dont start collapsing from holding up 100 kilos for 8 hours every day, while building up posture and strength, but you can also look at a exercise bike desk, or treadmill desk.
Actually I normally have my screen up a bit higher-it’s an LG with a brilliant bracket to let you move the screen all over the place. I put it down just to keep it in short for the video 👍🏼
I looked into those but my desk is 250cm long, it would cost an arm and a leg to put a system like that to lift it up, but I'm debating putting a standing desk next to it, a simple one, so I can switch back and forth during the day.
Hi Mark, have you noticed any effect on your recovery after a big leg day with all the standing? Love all the videos regardless of topic, but are you getting back on zwift this winter? Can a 95kg "non-climber" get the tron bike in a month?
Was wondering what you wear on your feet when standing and working for hours at a time? Barefoot? Minimalist shoes? Regular trainers? Etc. And do you think this makes a difference?
Squat is possibly our most natural at rest position - we just don't do it in the west. Central, Eastern Europe and across most of Asia squatting is a perfectly normal way of being at rest.
Hello Mark. thanks for another great video. Can I ask a more general question, do you use an app to count you calorie intake, if so which one do you use?
I agree. But when you divide the cost by hours of use it works out better 😁. I have many cheaper things that I hardly use at all……so are they really cheap? (Man maths😄)
Mine has a hand crank and I could totally see the benefit of a memory function and auto moving to the height cause I certainly don't put it up some times cause I don't want a workout or if I left it up I just stay up cause I don't want to crank it down.
You should try doing Asian/Slav squat challenge, over a day spend 30mins in the position for 30 days. Meant to be good for lower body mobility, is a natural position that as westerners we lost and is good for the colon.
I'm 6'5" and honest, finding myself cramped at desks all my life has wrecked my back - it's not helped that my primary exercise is cycling due to being unable to walk/run. Clearly may need to get one just to help release my hips and such.
