Taking a stand...against sitting disease

I’m sure many of you have heard there is a growing awareness of something called “sitting disease”. Sitting disease is a relatively new concept but research shows that sitting for prolonged periods of time each day can increase your risk for things such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.  Their solution?  Standing.  It seems a little obvious, if you ask me.  My mom suggested I try standing up at my desk, while I work.  Honestly, when I first spoke with her about it, I was skeptical and a little embarrassed to try it.  She told me that she had been doing it for quite a while and really enjoyed it, not to mention, she was gaining muscle in her legs.  She warned me though that it wasn’t easy.  I had to try it because I was convinced if she could do it, so could I.  The first few weeks were really difficult.  My legs, back and feet ached.  I was EXHAUSTED!!!  By the time I got home from work each day, I was ready to hit the sack.  Eventually though, it got easier and easier.  Now, I cannot imagine sitting down all day.  I sit down to eat my lunch and by the time I’m done, I’m ready to stand up again. 

You’re probably wondering how to convert a sitting desk to a standing desk with little or no cost to you or your company… insert cardboard boxes, file boxes or even just some really big books.  All you have to do is be creative!!

(Sorry for the slightly blurry nature of this picture.)

 My first adventure with creating a standing desk included a paper box under my monitor and a toner cartridge box under my keyboard.  Fancy huh?  I had lots of people tell me that I should have wrapped my boxes in different kinds of paper in order to make them more visually appealing.  Honestly, that is a fantastic idea and I’m seriously thinking about doing it.  How cheap and easy is that!  Just steal some leftover paper boxes and use some wrapping paper you already own to create a new, healthy alternative to a sitting desk.

(I spy with my little eye...a small orange notebook.  Said notebook was introduced here.)

Well, as you can see in the above picture, someone I work with took my standing desk to the next level and made me a workspace out of plexiglass and aluminum beams.  I love it and best of all, it is one of a kind and made specifically for someone my height. Seriously though, cardboard boxes work really well.  You can see I still have one box to the left of my computer.  I have it there as a raised surface upon which to write. The best thing is that if I ever change jobs or move to a new office, I can take my desk with me and my old desk will still accommodate someone who prefers to sit.  It’s a win/win situation, if you ask me.

The decision to stand up at work was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time.  I urge you to think about trying it.  In fact, I more than urge you, I challenge you.

Happy standing!

Rachel Elizabeth

P.S. After taking all these pictures, I’ve noticed that my office is really boring.   Project office makeover has commenced!