Running|Code

About software and adventures on foot.

Standing Desk Challenge: Week Three

This is the third week of my belated participation in the 28-Day Stand Up and Work Challenge. Check the entry from week one for an introduction to this series of posts.

Observations: week three

Day 11, 132 minutes. Last week, I divided standing time into two sessions per day; this week, I split the standing time into three shorter periods, to keep each session under one hour.

Day 12, 144 minutes. With each standing session being under one hour in duration, it’s been over a week since I felt significant soreness or fatigue while standing, and seated periods are broken up enough that they are producing less discomfort.

Day 13, 156 minutes. Lost track of time and missed 20 minutes of standing time. To compensate, I stood at the kitchen table that evening while checking email. We really should be just as conscious about our posture and sitting/standing behaviors in the evening as we are during the work day.

Day 14, 168 minutes. Playing music while standing helps to encourage moving around a little more.

Day 15, 180 minutes. Lost track of time again and missed out on an hour of standing. Being busy with phone calls or urgent work is not an excuse to skip a standing session, especially when it only takes a minute to switch positions.

The value of good peripherals

When using a laptop computer, a standing desk setup clearly requires an external keyboard. I have a Das Keyboard, Model S Ultimate. Besides being a general joy to use, I have a theory that it encourages good posture. To personify this keyboard: it wants to be used optimally, two hands on the home row, forearms level, touch typing1. Mechanical key switches feel best to me when pressed lightly, at the right angle, with a certain rhythm. For me, the sum of these effects is a straight back and a relaxed pose.

Next week

Next week, as the standing sessions reach a total of four hours per day, I want to set a schedule for three standing sessions daily and commit to following that schedule. In the long run, a rigid daily schedule is probably not necessary, but following one for several days may help to instill a routine.

  1. With no inscriptions on the Model S Ultimate’s keys, cheating is not allowed.