Kinesiology prof comments on standing desks

Monday, December 19, 2011

Is the standing desk the cure to our sedentary woes?

Alex Hutchinson
Globe and Mail
Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011 4:00PM EST

Now that we’ve accepted the surprising truth about sedentary behaviour – that sitting at a desk all day wreaks havoc on your health, no matter how much you exercise before or after work – the standing desk is having a moment. Desk jockeys everywhere are rising up.

The cashiers of the world, meanwhile, must be scratching their heads.

...Studies have shown that these desks can help reduce back pain, according to Jack Callaghan, a professor of spine biomechanics and injury prevention at the University of Waterloo. But they’re not perfect: If the keyboard and monitor are optimized for your seated position, then they’ll be imperfectly aligned when you stand up, leaving you vulnerable to hand, wrist and neck problems.

Read full article at The Globe and Mail.