Standing Desk

I have written about the dangers of sitting, but hadn't done anything about it for myself. That all changed today. Now that I'm officially an employee at my job, and not a temp, I asked if I could set up my desk to stand, instead of sit. I got a weird look, but also the go-ahead. After moving a ton of computer cables, digging up some boxes for my keyboard and mouse, I've been standing the last few hours. I can feel that my muscles are not used to it. I am doing a lot of weight shifting to stay comfortable.

I finally took the plunge because I am working my glutes and hip flexors twice daily for physical therapy. Sitting seemed to be negating that effort. I did a bit of searching to find if my thinking had any basis in reality. Men's Health magazine explained it very simply. Every muscle in your body is covered with fascia that tends to set into the position the muscle holds most frequently. If you're like most people, you sit for at least 8 hours a day for your job, 1-2 hours or more for your commute, 1 hour for dining and then 1-3 hours for TV viewing or on the computer at home. That's a minimum of 12 hours of a 24 hour day when your legs are bent in a sitting position.

When you sit, your hip flexors and hamstrings are shorter than when you stand. If you sit for much of the day, the fascia gets used to/adapts to being shorter. This makes it difficult for it to lengthen and hold your posture upright. Also, they become the dominant muscles in the thigh, rather than the glutes and quads, which are perpetually stretched because of the bend when sitting. This all leads to poor body mechanics and eventually to injuries.

I'm sure that making the switch to a standing desk will lead to many, many questions from co-workers and others. My desk does have many people walking past on a daily basis, so I'm ready to answer all those questions. I know that what I'm doing is the healthiest thing for me, but I also know that it's out of the ordinary. I will try to remain un-defensive and un-preachy when answering those questions. I may also need to get myself some flat, comfortable black shoes for work. Standing in heels, even if only an 1 1/2 inches, is going to be uncomfortable.

Injury Prevention

I ended up injured and on crutches last year. Because of that experience, I am reading everything I can about preventing running injuries. I have also taken a Good Form Running clinic to make sure my run form is as healthy as possible. Today, I read an injury prevention article in Runner's World. They lay out 10 rules for injury prevention. I am following all of them right now. I am trying to improve my stretching and my strength training. If you are a runner who has experienced injury in the past, or a new runner looking to avoid injuries, I recommend you read the article and check out the Good Form Running site.

Here are the rules. The article expands and explains them.

I
Know Your Limits
II
Listen to Your Body
III
Consider Shortening Your Stride
IV
Use Strength Training To Balance Your Body
V
RICE Works
VI
Run on a Level Surface
VII
Don't Race Or Do Speedwork Too Often
VIII
Stretch the Back Of Your Legs
IX
Cross-Training Provides Active Rest and Recovery
X
Get Shoes That Fit

Bad Information

I love the internet. I use it to get information about everything. I look up words for precise definitions all the time. I use it for this blog, too. I find that at least 90% of the information is accurate and verifiable. You can usually find several independent sources with the same information.

Unfortunately, there is plenty of bad information out there, too. Some of it comes from sources and sites that would be considered reliable, too. Yesterday while looking for a decent couch to 5K program, I came across a plan on Fitness Magazine's website. The plan itself wasn't horrible, it was similar to most other plans I found. However, their "Quick Tip" at the bottom is horrible and injury inducing. They recommend runners land heel-first. Never do this. NEVER.

There are top runners who do land heel-first, but they're not reading this blog, so the rest of us should avoid that and try to run like Ryan Hall who many consider to have the best form in the US. Here's a video that explains good running form in the way that numerous reliable sources have explained it to me and is basically step-by-step instructions to achieve Ryan Hall's stride.