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I've started using a make-shift standing desk at work since. Everyday, I am told by a random person that I'll cause long term injuries to my knees and/or feet by standing for several hours at a stretch.

Has there been any research conducted to prove that standing for longer hours is bad/unhealthy and the contrary?

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If that were true, I feel sorry for all the soldiers on guard duty... Truth be told, sitting in a chair can be worse for you long term than standing all day. (sarcasm for your neigh-sayers:) I mean, how did farmers, ranchers, and shepherds handle standing all those long hours? Surely they must have had injury after injury... – Berin Loritsch Aug 11 '11 at 12:40
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Also with an eye on the current discussion of our scope, how is standing still related to Fitness or Exercise? – Ivo Flipse♦ Aug 11 '11 at 12:54
@Ivo Flipse: It's pretty difficult to exercise if you have a long-term knee injury. – intuited Aug 11 '11 at 12:59
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@Berin: They may well have, starting at the age of 30 or so. Our expectations for long-term health have risen considerably since the days of yore. There is also a significant difference (at least for back issues, not sure about knees) between standing in a static posture and moving around: walking actually helps to heal some injuries which are made worse by standing still. – intuited Aug 11 '11 at 12:59
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@Ivo: Fair enough, good point. Though standing for hours at a time does constitute "exercise" and burns a significant number of calories. Some people do, in fact, choose to stand at a desk rather than sit in order to help maintain or improve their fitness. – intuited Aug 12 '11 at 2:40
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closed as off topic by Ivo Flipse♦ Aug 13 '11 at 11:56

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1 Answer

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Here's an interesting article from the New York Times about standing while working.

Over the last 2-3 months, this topic as been showing up quite frequently in fitness magazines, blogs, and tweets.

A study, with reference I can not find at this time, showed that a large percentage of people who suffer and or died from obesity related illnesses sat at a desk to work (as opposed to stood or were mobile). Be careful not to read this as people who sit all day long are more prone to death than others as this is not the result of the study; albeit a very close resemblance.

Also, to note, the offices at Stack Exchange are equipped with height adjustable desks.

I recently tried standing while working for about a week. It was a nice change in posture, but I don't recommend doing it all day, every day. The first day, I stood for about 6 hours. By the end of the day, I could feel the fatigue in my legs and joints. The next day it was better. Currently, I have the option of sitting or standing and will switch to standing when I feel my sitting posture is bad.

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