Oh Florida humidity, you are so fabulous. This morning my run with Sadie was hot and humid.
Whenever I set out for a run in the summer in Florida, I know to expect to feel more sluggish than usual and today was no different. Despite the thick, moist air, Sadie and I had a good time. I was equipped with a rockin’ playlist and just zoned out for most of the run.
We ended up knocking out five miles and it felt good to shake out my legs before work.
Breakfast
Breakfast this morning centered around almond butter.
I topped a toasted whole wheat English muffin with almond butter and a drizzle of honey.
Plus a banana on the side!
Stand Up Desk
Last night, Ryan and I had plans on the side of town by Ryan’s work, so I met up with him at his office before he was done for the day. I’ve been inside of Ryan’s work building a few times before, but he recently changed offices and I had never seen his brand new desk!
Ryan now has a stand up desk at work! Pretty cool, huh? He also has an extra tall chair to use when he wants to sit, but he seems to really enjoy standing up.
After reading the book Drop Dead Healthy, I told Ryan all about the author’s stance on prolonged sitting. (You can read my full review of the book here if you are interested.) In the book, A.J. Jacobs writes, “We weren’t built to sit. According to Harvard professor John Ratey, our Paleolithic forefathers walked eight to 10 miles a day. Our grandparents expended an average of 800 calories a day more than we do. Even regular gym-going cannot fully undo the harm of sitting.”
At my former job, I sat at a computer for the entire day. I would try to get up once an hour to get something to drink, eat a snack or go to the bathroom, but there were definitely times that I sat for hours without stretching my legs. I hated that feeling and it definitely made me look forward to our evening walks with Sadie when I got home. I wanted to move!
Question of the Morning
- Does your job require you to sit for a long period of time? Do you do anything to break up the sitting?
- If you could work from a stand up desk, would you want to?
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
I think I drink a lot more tea than what I would if I didn’t have a job that had so much sitting. I try and get up from my desk at least once an hour. I am pretty good about it but a standing desk would be awesome.
I am SO jealous of the stand up desk!! I would LOVE one!
I love the idea of standing desks and have wanted one ever since reading Drop Dead Healthy. It was so cool getting to meet the author. My ideal desk would be a treadmill desk.
I sit all day for work but I try and get up a few times throughout the day and walk around. We share the entire floor with a whole bunch of other financial planners so I will find an excuse to bring them their mail, or go get paperwork from them because it gets me up and moving.
I don’t know if I would want a stand up desk–There are times I think it would help and times I think it would annoy me.
i love the stand up desk! i sit wayyy too much at work.
That’s an awesome desk!!!!!! I’ve had a few office jobs, and I HATED sitting all day. As a teacher, I do pretty well these days. During the school years I would get about 1.5 miles worth of steps on my FitBit during recess duty!! Haha. Plus we are a one-car family so I do a LOT of walking around my neighborhood. My husband has an office job, but he’s getting into some better habits lately. He brings a jump rope to work to practice double unders for CrossFit!
My husband works in IT and just got a standup desk. He absolutely loves it! A lot less back pain for sure.
The stand up desk is such a great idea! I sit at a desk when I work but we also do a lot of moving around and walking so at least it’s not sitting down 100% of the time. I wish I lived closer to work and was able to walk or bike. I think the distance a lot of us travel so far that it makes computing by fit almost impossible.
I would love to have a stand up desk option at work (I’d still want a chair though too!) and would probably stand up 50% of the time I imagine. I try to get up and get water or go to the bathroom every hour or so. We also have a few walking trails around work so a little after lunch I try to get out and walk for 10 minutes-even that little bit of time helps me get through the afternoon!
I used to be really good about getting up from my desk and walking around every 30 minutes, but I got a promotion at work about 3 months ago, and my new job is MUCH more demanding, so I never remember. However, I combat all that sitting by staying very, very active. My fiance and I carpool to work, but he gets off 45 minutes before I do, so I always walk home unless the weather is very bad. I also make sure to take our dog for a long walk in the morning and a short walk while we’re home for lunch to get in extra activity between all that sitting. I don’t know if I’m undoing the harm, but I am trying to. I would like to get back into the habit of getting up and walking around every 30 minutes, but it’s hard when work is so demanding. I would love a stand up desk!! My job is non-profit, so I’m not sure they would go for it though. Haha!
I recently started working in an office type setting and I feel like I’m the most fidgety one there. I hate being confined to a little desk for what seems like forever!
My job requires me to sit for long periods too. Luckily, I have a walking trail near my job and sometimes on my lunch break I go for walks.
I would definitely love to have a desk like that! I sit for far too long each day!!
I loved your circuit workout yesterday! I am so sore from it today!!!! Thanks Julie!!
So glad you liked it!! Thanks for reporting back, Jackie!
Two people at my current job have stand up desks and they’re “testing” different types to see what we can offer – I can’t wait to have that option! At my last job, the president read Drop Dead Healthy as well and replaced her desk with a treadmill that had a flat top desk on top of it and then added one to the main area for us all to rotate throughout the day (coolest thing ever!)
Good for Ryan! That’s awesome 🙂
Working in nursing defintely prevents me from doing much sitting while at work. The only times I really get to sit is when charting, otherwise I’m constantly on the go. I wore a pedometer to work one day and in just an eight hour shift, I walked almost 8 miles! I love the treadmill desk idea and once I get a treadmill, I am going to make a desk to go over top of it so when I’m at home doing things such as checking e-mails, blogging, etc, I can get some extra movement in!
8 miles! That’s insane! Very cool that you get to be so active. And thanks for doing what you do. My mom was a nurse, too. 🙂 Lots of respect for you, Missy!
I’m actually getting a stand up desk at work this week! A lot of people in our office have been transitioning to them and management has been super supportive of it.
Our are really neat because they can be moved to different levels with the flip of a switch (they are basically motorized to move themselves up and down), so you can have it standing or sitting, depending on how you want it. They also ordered us those really cool gel-like mats that you stand on that are supposed to really help in the transition. I think Chefs use them when they are cooking in kitchens for prolonged hours.
I sit all day & it drives me nuts. I don’t find it a coincidence that me & a few other co workers all have low back problems in the same L4 L5 discs… the pressure from sitting all day. I hate it. 🙁 I also try to get up once an hour but you blink & its passed by & I think, “I’ve sat in this same spot all hour without even thinking about it” – pitiful. I have a FitBit & by the end of the day, I’m good if I have 1200 steps. On a weekend – I hit that by 10:00 am
I was a little more excited than I should have been when I saw the title of this post, but I have developed a standing work arrangement and I love it! I am 5’3″ and I realized that I can put two wooden crates (that you can get at many craft stores) on my normal desk, put my laptop on one, mouse pad on the other, and viola–standing desk for a total of $14! You can even paint them to match the decor of your room/office. Considering that a standing desk can cost hundreds of dollars, I thought this was a cheap and easy alternative.
Love the resourcefulness!! 😀
Ha, I rather have a couch in my office……. but then I am more of a couch potato 🙂 I can only think well if I have my feet UP. 🙂
LOL!
I consider myself lucky because as a preschool teacher, I literally never stop moving. I think I do more squats at work to get down to my kiddo’s eye level than I do in the gym over a whole week. I think I would have a very difficult time sitting all day!
I am thankful my job requires me to be on my feet and moving (I am a baker). It would be hard having to sit all day. Even on my days off I can’t sit for too long. The stand-up desk looks like a great option for those that work in an office.
My company in Philadelphia has a high level mission of being The Healthiest Company. (!!!) One of our initiatives internally is to have equipment in the office that supports that which includes all sit-to-stand desks (so you can sit or stand), bosu balls as chairs, and treadmill desks!!! It really does make a huge difference
Interesting! I don’t think I would chose to do a stand-up desk, though I can see why it would be good for you. I like sitting down when I’m writing 🙂
Yummy breakfast!
I LOVE that desk! I definitely sit too much at work and I’ve been making a point to stand and walk around more during the day. I even asked my office to order me a standing workstation. My desk will remain the same, but a device will sit on top of it and I’ll be able to put my computer, keyboard, etc. on it and lift everything up and down depending on whether I want to sit or stand. I can’t wait to get it!
i’m a nurse so i’m constantly running around at work! I feel much more energized and its easier for me to be motivated to workout after a 12+hour work day than I am on my days off where I tend to not be as active! sounds crazy but its true!
I also read Drop Dead Healthy last year! I would enjoy a stand up desk, with the option of a chair when I wanted it. I think it’s great that work places are creating this option now.
I would LOVE to have a job that had me in motion and not at my desk for 9-10 hours a day, but until I can make that happen I try to drink a ton of water to keep my energy levels up and force me to get up every hour. I find that if I walk around the city after lunch even for 10 minutes or so it helps loosen me up and ease digestion after a big meal. I would definitely love using a standup desk or even sitting on an exercise ball but no one else here does that and we have a very open office environment so I would definitely get some odd looks! Maybe I’ll start the trend anyways?
I’ve been working at a stand up desk for about 8 months now and I love it. My set up is slightly more janky than Ryan’s looks, but it really does improve productivity! And it’s so healthy. I read an article in Runner’s World, “Sitting is the New Smoking” (and then wrote a post about it since the topic was so near and dear to me). It’s a really interesting article if you haven’t read it yet! There are overwhelming merits to standing up, but as a runner, I sometimes really need the rest, so I think sitting sometimes during the day is totally fine. (you can see my full vent sesh here: http://lifesphilosophie.com/?p=567)
What a cool company that uses stand up desks! I don’t know if I would want to stand the entire 8 hours though, my legs might get tired.
A couple of the guys at my work have stand up desks and they love it! I would love one, but I work the front desk and unfortunately, I don’t think they would think it looks professional for outsiders to first see when walking into the office. I drink a ton of water throughout the day not only to stay hydrated, but to also force me to get up and go to the bathroom once every hour! Also, our front door is permanently locked, so anytime someone comes to it, I have to get up and let them in. They always joke I should get a button on my desk that opens the door, but I love getting the blood flowing and wouldn’t use the button if I had one! 🙂
I sit all day every day at my job. It is awful but I am so busy that sometimes I don’t stand up for an hour or too! I considered getting an exercise ball to sit on, so at least it would be a bit better for me. Love the stand up desk though!
This post is literally perfect timing!! My desk at work can be raises 6 more inches naturally and I have maintenance coming to do that this week. I also purchased some bed risers (like you would use in college) and will be slipping them under the desk once it is raised!
I worked from home on Tuesday and stood the entire day (my kitchen table is super high) and I felt AMAZING. I fricken hate sitting all day. My back hurts and my butt just goes numb!
I also am 2 months post ACL surgery and notice that the only times my knee hurts lately is at work and it is because I don’t move and then get up. I still get up every every to pee / fill my water bottle but it is just not enough. I can’t wait for my desk to be ready to rock and roll next week!!
I work in an office so I end up sitting a lot each day at my desk. My company isn’t too progressive so they don’t offer stand-up desks, and it’s so traditional I’d feel a little silly using a Bosu ball (though I’m considering it)! I definitely try to get up and move around as often as I can. I read a study recently that standing up every 10 minutes (just stand up and stretch a little) negates the harms of sitting all day. I know it seems pretty frequent, but I now try to stand and walk around a little every 10 minutes or as often as I remember.
I would love a stand up desk and tall chair. I work for the federal government so I doubt that I will be getting one anytime soon.
I sit all day! I had a co-worker that had a stand up desk but I am not sure in heels I cold stand all day! To break up the sitting I make sure I walk to co-workers offices versus calling or emailing them, I walk to the farthest bathroom and usually am up every hour to fill my water bottle too.
I just quit my job at JCP. Had to walk and stand the entire time. You can’t just sit. Constantly having to find something to do. My legs and feet were so tired. It’s been hard to run too. Which I’m really bummed about. But now I’m out of there and running it is! Marathon in DEC!
I like the idea of a stand up desk, but I’d totally take advantage of that tall chair.
That’s totally awesome — I have a stand up desk at work, too. My body just feels so much better at the end of the day.
OMG, I sit so much at my job my butt hurts! I do try to get up and walk around the building twice a day even though it 100+ degrees outside. I just have to stretch my legs!
Seeing as I’m a college student, I do a lot of sitting–whether in class or studying. When I can, I try to get up and at least stretch and get some feeling in my legs every hour or so, but I don’t know if that helps or not. Our lifestyles are inherently sedentary today–it’s a really hard problem to combat!
I recently got a standing desk at work, and I looooooovvee it! It’s really helped my posture. Like Ryan, I have the tall chair if I need to sit. I just need to avoid calling it a “high chair” like an infant. 🙂
Julie, does Ryan know how much his desk cost his company by any chance?? I would love to get one for work, but I don’t want to ask if it’s going to cost them a fortune. Thank you!!
P.s. I finally ordered Carba-nada noodles after reading your blog for years, and I love them! Thank you for the suggestions!
Hi Susie!! I’m not sure how much it was, but one reader commented that you can buy stand up desk extensions that are much cheaper. 🙂 I’d definitely look into that!
I have a stand up desk, and I love it. I don’t use it all the time, but I use it at least a few hours everyday to try to reverse some of the effects of sitting for hours and hours.
We are trying to get desks in our office that move up and down for standing or sitting. We really want to be able to stand up in our job – we have to be at our desks for 8 hours {even eat meals there}. That is great that he likes his new desk and I am envious 🙂
Where is the desk from?! It’s on my wish list!!
I wish I could “zone out” on runs. I find it virtually impossible but probably because I’m really no good at running. I just think about how much I want to stop. Haha. I can zone out on a spin bike though, no problem. Sigh.
Most of my jobs have entailed me sitting at a desk all day. The worst!
That stand up desk is awesome! I wish every job had these, and wish that they along with schools focused more on our health!
I work in an office so I do sit all day. About a year and a half ago I decided to start doing little work outs everytime I go to the restroom. We have a single bathroom so that makes it easy. I am one who drinks a LOT of water so I’m in and out of the restroom a ton. I do 10 squats, lunges or wall push ups every single time. It has made a HUGE difference 🙂
I love the idea of a stand up desk!! I would take it in a heartbeat….I hate sitting all day and staring at a computer (which means I dislike my job!) I did switch from a regular office chair to a ball. I have noticed a difference in my core because you have to work a little harder to stay on. I get up at least once an hour to take a lap around the building, say hey, stretch. Nothing is more important than my health and I need that time to keep from getting stiff. I def. look foward to the runs in the afternoon after sitting all day!
I so want a stand up desk in my office. I saw this little drop down desk that can be put to standing height at IKEA and wanted it so badly. It was even only like $40!! But Peter says he refuses to screw big holes in our walls for it. Grrrrr. Maybe I need to try this conversation again. “But Peter. It’s for my HEALTH. And longevity. You’re slowly killing me by not doing a standing desk. Is that what you want, Peter? For shame. How can you call yourself a loving husband?” Ha!
Haha! This made me miss you, Tina! 😀
Miss you too! And, for the record, I tried it and it blew up in my face. “Well, if we’re suddenly SO concerned about your health then I guess we can’t ever have ice cream anymore or go out on dinner dates…”. Damn.