[oostevo]

I'm really not trying to be mean, but imagine your ancestors for a second. You know, the guys who ran down and killed animals that weighed several tons. Imagine how befuddled they'd be, sweating and bloodied from defeating the mastodon that just tried to kill them, when you told them that you can't be bothered to stand up for a little while while you type. It says something pretty embarrassing about society when we've collectively decided that myriad orthopedic problems are better than standing up.

That rant over with (sorry, again), I just went to the local hardware store and got some cinder blocks. The price difference (~$7 for the cinder blocks versus ~$1000 for a height-adjustable desk frame) was worth the slight lack of convenience. That, and without the adjustability, I won't be tempted to just leave the desk in the 'down' position.

[alex_c]

There's a big difference between walking (or jogging) for hours and standing in one spot for hours. I can walk for significantly longer than I can stand in the same spot before I experience discomfort.

[oostevo]

The reason that I don't experience that might have something to do with my latent hyperactive tendencies. With my standing desk, I'm able to pace around the office, walk to the whiteboard, and then return to the keyboard.

I think that helps me focus more, and it's probably one reason that I don't get sore from standing in one spot. Others may experience different results.

[tnorthcutt]

How do you know that your ancestors didn't have numerous orthopedic problems caused by constantly running down and killing animals, which resulted in drastically lower life expectancies than we enjoy now?

[oostevo]

I don't; it was just a thought experiment.

However, I did have someone with a Ph.D. in kinesiology (I think?) tell me that there's essentially no evidence of knee, hip, or back dysfunction in developing countries where people don't sit all day.

[corprew]

One of the interesting things you see in undeveloped countries is that people squat in a position that is hideously uncomfortable if you're used to using a chair.

Here's a somewhat nutty article on it called "third world squat": http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_trai... but it is an actual thing that people and it makes for a different muscle development than chair-dwellers have.

[jules]

I tried a standing desk. You get tired, numb and painful after half an hour. I can run several hours no problem. So indeed evolution did it's job and optimized for running.