Dan Wich, a faithful reader of this blog, told me that my work had helped him. I asked for details. He wrote:
I have a desk job and began to experience back pain that was aggravated while sitting. So I bought a desk designed for both sitting and standing, and spent most of my time standing.
I was on the lookout for improved sleep patterns because of your experiments, and I noticed similar results. But the biggest benefits I observed were unexpected. First, my ability to focus and prioritize improved while standing; sitting for long periods made me more likely to avoid challenging tasks. Second, I felt more creative while standing, avoiding the problem-solving tunnel vision I’d often get after sitting for a while.
Being able to switch between standing and sitting without changing anything else has led me to dismiss other causes for those mental benefits. And I wasn’t expecting to receive them, making me doubt the placebo effect is at work. So, I think I can corroborate your results of improved mental function while standing.
I stand while working at the computer too; I like to “think on my feet.”
Mark does too:
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/standing-at-work/
There are a few other pieces that have covered this as well:
https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/technology/personaltech/22basics.html
I stand (and walk) as much as possible while working too.
Seth was on the cutting-edge of this transitional movement. Walking and standing make us human.
Best,
Brent
Seth,
Read this recently that also claims that but standing helps produce enzymes that deal with fat in the blood better
“If you’re standing around and puttering, you recruit specialized muscles designed for postural support that never tire,” he says. “They’re unique in that the nervous system recruits them for low-intensity activity and they’re very rich in enzymes.” One enzyme, lipoprotein lipase, grabs fat and cholesterol from the blood, burning the fat into energy while shifting the cholesterol from LDL (the bad kind) to HDL (the healthy kind). When you sit, the muscles are relaxed, and enzyme activity drops by 90% to 95%, leaving fat to camp out in the bloodstream. Within a couple hours of sitting, healthy cholesterol plummets by 20%.”
https://www.businessweek.com/print/magazine/content/10_19/b4177071221162.htm
When I first read Seth’s musings on the benefits of standing, I searched google scholar, and a few studies have found that people in similar occupations that stand versus sit tend to have greater carotid atherosclerosis.
vic, yes, I know about those studies. I don’t think it is a good idea to stand in one place for a long time, as the standing jobs in those studies required. I can get the benefits of standing on sleep from one-legged standing for a much shorter period of time.
@Dan Wich or @Seth
Which desk did Dan buy?
Patrick, I bought it custom-made from BenchDepot.com. They were about 40% cheaper than any other vendor, and the desk is well-built. I recommend them.
Seth, what did you mean by “I can get the benefits of standing on sleep from…”? I can either sit at a desk and work on a computer, or stand at a tall table and work on a computer. Which is better?
Seth: When I stood 8 hours/day or more, I slept better than when I stood less. I can sleep better just by standing on one leg to exhaustion several times. That’s what I meant. As for sitting versus standing when using computer, I personally stand (30-60 min/day?) more than I sit (0 min/day) when I have a choice but I lounge while using a computer (6 hr/day?) far more than either one.