Since I'm new to the whole Blog thing. I was trying to think of what is actually Blog-worthy.
Well, here's something I'm telling everyone I know AND their sister.
Get off your ass. Not in the exercise sense although it's never a bad idea. Rather, I'm referring to changing to a stand-up desk.
In the publish or perish world of fitness information and shameless self-promotion, I find myself spending countless hours pecking away at my fairly new laptop keyboard or the ol' standby desktop computer. Well, my posture had gone to hell and my hips were feeling about two decades older than my 70-year-old shoulder.
Rather than blow $400 on a keyboard tray that adjusts to a standing position (and because if I don't use my laptop, my wife may try to take it away from me), I found an adjustable table that is the perfect height.
After a couple weeks of accomodation, I have to say it was a great idea.
There were some initial adjustments like a mild pressure in the lower back which resolved quickly with some improved abdominal recruitment (bonus #1) , but otherwise the typical discomfort in the upper back that made me feel Quasimoto-ish after about an hour at the fancy typewriter machine is now gone.
I can also do a few simple exercises like muscle activation for the glutes and some low load passive stretches to some shortened muscles like the TFL and gluteus medius as well as some ankle mobility work (bonus #2).
I also get to spend more quality time with my wife and CFO (uh, for the record they are the same person) as we are now able to ignore one another while working in our spacious home office simultaneously (although I frequently catch her checking out my ass - bonus #3).
Alright, enough time wasted and here's my wrap up. Be a stand-up guy, stand-up and be counted, stand by your man, stand for something...you get the point.
Later.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Get Off Your Ass
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6 comments:
Nice blog, Bill. Looking forward to following you on your journey thru the blogisphere.
Have a good one.
Greg
That sounds like an excellent idea. Where can you get one of those adjustable tables? Can they fit ON an existing desk so I don't have to move this large behemoth out of my office?
I think it's interesting for a couple of reasons. I went through Dale Carnegie training years ago, and I noticed that our instructor who ran the school used a stand-up desk. He was adament about it, and claimed that it helped him keep his mind active since he couldn't relax into a chair. He also did have great posture and presence (as would be expected from a Carnegie trainer). I have long thought about taking his advice.
Based on your blog entry, I'm going to give it a shot. Chalk up your first reader making a positive change!
Bill,
I was also wondering where you pick up such a piece of furniture or do I just add more cinder blocks to my left-over-from-college book shelves? I saw a T.V. program recently about obesity and one of the "experts" had a tread mill everywhere he worked. He did the tv interview on his treadmill, he said he conducted meetings from his treadmill... now that's getting off your ass! He was pretty lean.
I'm convinced! I need to find one of these, my posture has sucked for too many years!!!
Hey, that's "Q" not underscored "q" dammit!
Nice to know that you're up and running with the blog. I'll be checking in often.
Thanks again for all the help!
At 50-something, my posture and weight both leave something to be desired. I built myself a desk for my office that didn't take into account for the possibility of wanting to stand and compute on my laptop. So I built a smaller, shortlegged table to go on top of the existing table. When I get tired, I just lift up the laptop and lower it to the seated height table. An adjustible computer table would be fine, but this is something that blends in with all the old oak roll-top stuff I have in the office. Good idea, standing up to compute!
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