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Standing Up

Recently my shoulder has been hurting. I’m not sure if it is due to having a “I-want-to-be-held” twenty-or-so pound child or if it has more to do with the large amount of time I spend at a desk with fingers on a keyboard each day. Either way, it had reached a tipping point recently. At first it was my wrists, which were quite relieved by an ergonomic keyboard (very recommended if you’re having the same trouble I was). The keyboard helped the braces come off and the pain disappear. The back was a new issue though. I wasn’t entirely sure what to do about it.

Some online research, as well as some discussions with colleagues, led me to consider standing while working. This is apparently a common practice (though one I haven’t seen personally). At any rate, I had an aging computer (over six years old and an old architecture). The company I purchased it from no longer even supplied the ability to update the system or upgrade the operating system. I decided to throw a free operating system on it. It worked like a charm. I was running newer software and the computer was much faster. Most importantly, I set it up on an adjustable shelf behind my desk (a built-in bookshelf I quite like). This provided my “standing desk.”

For about the past week I’ve tried to do most of my typing while standing (that’s a lot of what I do), and it’s worked quite well. The first night my legs hurt (probably because I was standing most of the day) but it had done wonders for my back. In fact, I’m standing as I’m writing this at the moment. It requires a different posture — one that isn’t a terrible slouch. I’m also, happily, able to freely move (bend my knees, change balance from one leg to the other, stretch my ankles, etc.). These are things I didn’t actually know I missed (I used to stand while working at a bank). At any rate — if you type a lot and you’re having some back pain you might try standing. If you’ve got a laptop it’s easily movable and you can try it without disconnecting too many cables. Cheers to less pain!