End of 2 weeks at a Standing Desk

It's now been about 2 weeks since I started trying out a standing desk. I rather like it, actually. There are definitely some benefits to this, but there are also drawbacks.

First of all, I haven't lost any weight from doing this, but I have gotten hungrier and have been eating more. I guess I can say that I haven't gained any weight either, even though I've been eating more. Lol! So this is not really a good way to lose weight. However, it does actually make me feel better at the end of the day than sitting all day.

Anyways, let me talk a little about the drawbacks. The biggest issue for me are my knees, which get very sore and tired. I try not to lock them so they're slightly bent most of the time. I also try to stand evenly and not place weight on my hips too much. Unfortunately for me, my knees have been an issue for the past several years due to overuse and since taking the desk job, it has gotten better. Standing at my desk has brought back some of the old feelings of soreness, though it is still nothing like it was before. I am worried about my knees deteriorating from soreness to pain again. So I have been alternating between sitting and standing. I stand for an hour and then I sit for an hour. This has made my knees much happier.

Another drawback, in the beginning, was that I felt a little weird standing in a sea of mostly sitting cubicles. Luckily, there were already a few others in my department, including my boss that is doing the standing desk. In fact, my boss is an avid advocate of the standing desk and was quite happy to have me try it out. After the initial comments of things like, "So, you're trying the standing thing," the awkwardness has subsided.

As for the benefits, I have to say that my head, neck and shoulders feel great! This has been good for my posture for when I was sitting, I was hunched over my computer all day, which caused tense muscles and fatigue. I am also more likely to move around and get a drink of water, since I'm standing already, which helps keep me from getting dehydrated, another tendency I have at the office. Overall, I actually do feel better at the end of the day and maybe even healthier too.

So I think I'll continue doing this on and off for a while. I have my work laptop propped on a big cardboard box that I can put away when I'm tired of standing, so I'm free to switch any time. Generally, I'm feeling pretty good about a standing desk!