Monthly Archive for August, 2008

The greatest problem with knowledge work, as I see it, is the desk and chair. One does not move enough throughout the day. Sitting motionless in a chair for extended periods is not good for the back or your waistline.

A 1991  Boeing Study found that sitting puts 40% to 80% more stress on the back than standing [Bigos, S. J., Battie, M. C., Spengler, D. M., Fisher, L. D., Fordyce, W. E., Hansson, T. H., et al. (1991). A prospective study of work perceptions and psychosocial factors affecting the report of back injury. Spine, 16 (1), 1­6].

Another study suggests that adjustable-height tables might provide relief from the discomfort and inflexibility of fixed-height workstations.  Prof. Alan Hedge, the director of Cornell University’s Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory, investigated this possibility in a 2004 study on the electric height-adjustable work surface, or EHAW.

The EHAW is a table with a built-in electronic control pad. By fiddling with the up and down buttons on the pad, users can sit low to the ground, stand up and otherwise fine-tune the table height in accordance with their preferences. Hedge noted that although EHAWs are common outside the United States and even mandatory in Denmark, but they are rare in the United States. These desks are starting to appear in some Canadian government offices. However, they cost as much as $2000.

Hedge conducted studies at two locations, an Intel Corporation site on the West Coast where employees performed extensive computer work and an insurance company in the Midwest where employees did moderate computer work. The results indicated that more than 80 percent of the employees favored the EHAWs to the fixed-height tables.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, standing desks were popular in the homes and offices of the rich.  Most modern desks are 30 inches (76 cm.) but there is no such average for standing desks. It was common in the past to have a standing desk made to measure to the height of the user, since only the rich could afford desks. One way to get around the problem of accommodating many users at a single desk was to angle or slant to the writing surface.

Most standing desks have an open frame with few or little drawers, and a foot-rail (similar to those seen at a bar) to reduce back pain.

If these desks are good enough for Winston Churchill, Thomas Jefferson, Ernst Hemmingway, and Donald Rumsfeld, then it’s good enough for me.

Now that you know how a standing desk might help your aching back and why, you might want one. I’ll show you how to make one easily and inexpensively out of 2 x 4′s and 3/4″ plywood.

Now that your abs have regained some strength, it’s time to move on to the three most effective ab exercises. We’ll start with the bicycle maneuver. This exercise is the most effective overall.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Press your lower back into the floor, and put both hands behind your head (don’t pull on your head). Bring your right elbow over to your left knee while lifting your shoulders off the floor, and then bring your left elbow over to your right knee in a twisting, bicycle pedal motion. Continue to breathe naturally. Continue in a slow and controlled manner fully extending each leg on every repetition but keep it off the floor.

The reverse crunch is the second abdominal exercise to master.

It may seem like the reverse crunch is for the lower abs but, remember, the rectus abdominis is one long muscle, so you can’t separate upper from lower and the obliques do a lot of the work in this exercise.

1. Lie on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind the head.
2. Bring the knees in to 90 degrees with the calves parallel to the floor and your  feet together.
3. Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor.
4. Lower in a slow and controlled fashion and repeat for 12 reps per set.
5. It’s a very small movement — use your abs to lift your hips rather than swinging your legs to create momentum.

This may feel almost impossible to do at first, but you will learn to contract the abs properly. Then it may feel impossible to hold it at the top and lower the hips slowly. Don’t get discouraged, being fit is about consistent effort. You must exercise in some fashion every day of your life to remain fit. Making exercise a habit makes it easier and produces greater results with fewer injuries. The week-end warrior will be the guy who suffers the injuries and delays in his progress.

Abdominal strength prevents back, groin, and leg injuries. Get your abs in shape before engaging in more strenuous activities.