[hamster-bamster]

I have decided to make it a separate thread, simply as an FYI.

Stop sitting.

I used to have terrible pain in the top portion of my back, below the shoulder. Frequent piercing pain, on one side.

Since I got a standing desk at work (something that is trendy in the Bay Area of California), I very rarely experience pain. I also stand in public transit - 15 minutes one way to work, but it makes a difference. And to see a p-doc, I stand for an hour and a half in public transit (yes, on a half-empty train) and then walk for about 15 minutes briskly, so it is quite a trip. Of course, I shift my weight from leg to leg and change positions rather than stand still. I am lying down at home to use the computer. I pace the kitchen floor when I eat breakfast. If I need to use a knife and a fork, I do so at the kitchen counter. That, when I am alone. When I have guests, of course we sit down.

I do not yet have the stamina to stand at my desk all day long, so I sit for short periods on a tall chair using a foot rest. I also sit in meetings in conference rooms - there are no standing conference rooms yet. The goal is to sit for less than 3 hours a day - sitting for more shortens life-span by as much as 2 years. Exercise does not help those who sit for long periods of time. The goal is to diminish sitting.

Recently, I was out of whack with sleeping and only had 5 hours of sleep and had remnants of a headache - in other words, I felt awful. I had no energy to stand. My pain returned, although not as sharp as before. So there is a clear connection: sitting --> pain. That is the short-term consequence of sitting. And the long-term consequence is reduced longevity. There is quite a bit of research backing it up.

Do not get me wrong - it is not that standing is beneficial, it is the elimination of sitting. A retail job where one walks the floor all the time is more beneficial than my standing at my standing desk.

I realize that outside of the Bay Area you probably cannot get a standing desk tailored to your specific height for the next few years (usually, California leads the country so you will see standing desks pop up elsewhere after some lag of time), but at least get on your tummy when you use PC!!! Do not sit in your chair slouching or stooping! And same with watching TV - you can do so lying down on a couch rather than sitting.

And, sitting promotes obesity.