I don't know if this belongs our style blog, but it's a lifestyle issue, and my ability to wear the clothes I love is tied to my health and fitness. I visited Minneapolis (very short trip, and I wish I could have met some StyleNation members,* but it was for 48 hours and I had many academic meetings, all fun). One of my dearest former professors had a rigged standing desk set up in his office at school. He had a few boxes, some made of wood, and stacked books. I have been intrigued with the standing desk for a while. You've probably read by now that scientists believe that
our sitting intensive lifestyles will kill all of us, no matter how much exercise we do when we're not sitting at a desk. As I've mentioned before, I am all torso height-wise, which is great for rocking a bikini but awful for sitting. Most chair and desk heights do not work for me, and like most I slump my shoulders forward. And I am fidgety and prefer standing most of the time (except in tall shoes), so today I took the plunge. Here's what I've done so far:
(yes there is a huge blue JOCKEY pamphlet in my junky file box. It's a coupon for future underwear purchases).
I've been standing a couple hours now and I notice that I can keep my shoulders back more easily. I sway a lot and fidget more. I walk away a bit easier to get water and go to the toilet and I can pace when I want to think. I will take some sitting breaks every so often. Oh, and I'm barefoot, although I am generally barefoot or at most be-socked in the home.
I will report back about my
Donald Rumsfeld experiment later this week (I go in on Thursday to teach but I plan to park my feet here for the most part). He's not the only one: Benjamin Franklin and Ernest Hemingway also reported used standing desks.
Would you consider a standing desk? How do you feel about sitting? Do you have a great ergonomic set up and good habits or do you need something more?
I did have the pleasure of seeing Sal, as she works on campus, for an hour. It was fun and uplifting. We talked about bikes, real estate, urban living, style, families. She is so full of lightness and joy, and had the best shoes. I highly recommend this.
