I did it: I bought a standing desk.
Are you sitting down?
Get up!
My husband, who is something of an exercise and health nut, has been forwarding me articles for several years now about the dangers of sitting still.
Sitting slows your metabolism.
Sitting for long periods cancels out the benefits of exercise.
Those who sit are more prone to weight gain, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
“Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods—even if you also exercise regularly—could be bad for your health,” the AP reports.
“And it doesn’t matter where the sitting takes place—at the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV—just the overall number of hours it occurs.”
The New York Times suggests sitting may even be lethal.
But I, like so many Americans, work … you guessed it, sitting down.
A day in the life of a professional writer and editor usually includes several hours of writing and editing (which I do on a laptop on my knees while I sit cross-legged on a couch in my office), interviews by phone and Skype, keeping up with social media, following up with editors via email, and the like.
Though I also have an in-real-life writing group, network with other professional over coffee every few weeks, and travel to conferences, to give talks, and to write travel articles, I usually spend at least four or five hours at a stretch sitting down.
It’s ironic, isn’t it?
As children and young people our teachers tell us to “Sit down!” for years.
As adults we now know we need to stand up.
Enter the standing desk.
I’ve been thinking about buying one or setting up a makeshift desk for years.
I recently moved my office from inside our house to an outdoor converted storage space.
It took us all summer to buttress the roof (it was caving in), buttress the walls (ditto), drywall the space, install a floor (which we did affordably by finding factory seconds at a flooring store and installing the floor materials ourselves), and paint the office.
I left a space free for a desk.
But I left my desk inside the house because my 12-year-old asked if she could have it.
I’m finally doing it—replacing my desk with a standing desk.
The Internet is a daunting place.
Google “standing desk” and you’ll get 576,000 hits (update: 7,860,000!).
I’d rather have a stomach flu than go shopping, on-line or in real life.
So instead of spending hours sitting down and surfing the Internet, I asked my peeps on Facebook.
Leah Ingram made her own standing desk.
As did Frugal Man, Melanie McMinn (aka Frugal Kiwi)’s, significant other. Melanie’s how-to post isn’t available anymore but you can read it here via the Wayback Machine.
I’m all for inexpensive and DIY.
We make our own laundry soap. And kitchen spray.
I got crafty and made these awesome pop-up puppets with my son’s class.
My husband completely refurbished the converted office himself, working alongside a paid friend.
We saved all kinds of money with that project, and so what I really wanted was a nice desk to go in it, not the gimcrack system that we’d probably come up with that would be end up being hard to adjust or not wide enough for the computer or otherwise uncomfortable.
I wanted a nice desk that someone else has already designed and created.
So when my colleague Linda Bowman, a freelance writer, editor, and writing instructor, enthused so unequivocally about her set-up, her comment really caught my eye:
Trek Desk
“I’ve been using a treadmill desk (Trek Desk) for about three years,” Linda wrote on Facebook (reprinted with permission.) “I love it! It has saved my back and I burn lots of calories, too. It was $500 three years ago; the treadmill was $500 from Target, and it still works perfectly (you can spend lots of money on treadmills, but I didn’t want bells and whistles).
“The cool thing is that you can walk as fast or as slow as you want. When I’m writing, I usually slow down to 1.5 mph (which is still burning calories, but I’m not breathing hard or sweating). But when I’m reading/researching or doing emails/FB, I kick it up to 3.4 mph … One of the best decisions I’ve ever made!”
She’s not getting kick-backs from the company, she swears. She’s just a happy customer sharing the love.
That works for me.
So, on Linda’s recommendation, I bought this Trek Desk in the photograph below. [Which, unfortunately, is not available anymore.]
It cost me $479, including shipping.
It didn’t come with the snazzy low-to-the-floor treadmill in the picture though.
I stalked Craig’s List to no avail, rifled though my friends’ garages, and checked out the upcycle stores in town for a treadmill to go with the standing desk. No dice. So I went ahead and bought a new flat treadmill from a big box store.
I’ve noticed lately when lifting my suitcase into the overhead bin that it feels heavier than it used to.
And that there’s a little too much love in those handles around my middle.
Some might argue these are the inevitable results of aging.
Screw you, Mr. Gravity!
I’m no longer going to take it sitting down.
ETA: I love my standing desk and my treadmill and have been using both for the past eight years! Unfortunately Trek Desks are no longer available. But here’s another adjustable standing treadmill desk that’s been getting good reviews. After a concerted effort that included standing and walking while working, I’m also happy to report that, over the course of a year and a half, I managed to s-l-o-w-l-y lose over 15 pounds.
Published: January 9, 2014
Updated: July 19, 2022
Holly Smith says
Another option if a standing desk isn’t in the budget: Sit on a stability ball while working. Even though you’re still technically sitting, your core is constantly being engaged, and you’re almost forced to use correct posture in order to stay upright.
Courtney @ FamilyGoneHealthy says
I have really been wanting this for work!! I know it would be next to impossible to get one paid for by my department so I have been trying to get up and walk around every hour or 2.
Shannon @ All Things Health says
Good for you! I’m trying to move as much as possible, too.
Melanie says
Great post Jennifer. I have been meaning to do something like this for years–I sit for WAY too many hours for work every day.
Been thinking about a fitdesk (desk bike combo)–although I guess that’s still sitting.
Tangren says
If you haven’t bought your treadmill yet – I started out with a second-hand treadmill, and when it developed problems I could not find anyone to repair it! Looked and looked. Tried the repair guy at the Y; he only does theirs. Finally went to Sears and bought a new one with a guarantee – the guy comes every year to check it out.