Reinventing the Office: How to Lose Fat and Increase Productivity at Work 224 Comments

Written by Topics: The 4-Hour Body - 4HB


(Photo: watz)

If you’re a white-collar worker, hacking your body isn’t limited to the gym. In fact, what you do outside of the gym might be more important that what you do inside the gym.

Recent research suggests that those who sit from 9-5 (more than 6 hours daily) and exercise regularly are more likely to have heart disease than those who sit less than 3 hours per day and don’t “exercise” at all. ff Venture Capital, a New York early-stage technology venture capital fund, recently moved into a new NYC location, and they’ve documented their experiments and findings in rethinking the office for physical optimization.

David Teten of ff VC contributed this detailed post, which provides a laundry list of ideas for transforming your office–home-based or otherwise–from a liability into a performance enhancer…

If you have any fantastic tricks you’d like to share, please do so in the comments.

Enter David Teten

When Arnold Schwarzenegger first came to America, he and fellow bodybuilder Franco Columbu worked during the day as bricklayers. Their work was their workout. When they weren’t laying bricks, they were hitting the gym hard and heavy.

Unfortunately, most people aren’t so lucky, and ass-in-chair time has costs:

- As the New York Times recently wrote, sitting kills.
- In a study that tracked over 17,000 Canadians for 12 years, researchers found that people who sat more had a higher risk of death, independent of whether or not they exercised.
- According to a 2003-2004 U.S. survey, Americans spend over half of their time awake sitting.
- In an article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researcher Elin Ekblom-Bak found that “after four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals” that cause the genes regulating glucose and lipose levels in the body to shut down.

A small number of offices across the country have slowly begun to endorse the idea of exercising during work (e.g. walking on a treadmill while doing your job at Mutual of Omaha). Besides the obvious fitness benefits, exercise also increases productivity (according to research done by the Vermont Board of Education — PDF download).

Most surprising of all, remaking the workplace into a healthy, exercise-supportive environment has a cost benefit. Many of the design changes we have implemented cost little or nothing.

Below is a list of the key features of our office. We hope that more companies will embrace this alternative way of working, and ultimately improve the well-being of all their employees.

Desk Setup

Every person in our office has a choice of three desk setups:

1. Standing desk ($200-$750) with anti-fatigue comfort mat ($20-$40).

We use electronically adjustable desks, built from an IKEA top and Workrite frame and legs (ordered through WB Mason). These were the most attractive standing desks we could find at a reasonable price. They move up and down at the push of a button, making it easy to change to a sitting position when needed. For another look at a typical standing desk configuration, click here.

2. Exercise ball ($40) to sit on in lieu of a conventional chair. Exercise balls help build core stability muscles, thereby reducing lower back pain and injury. We particularly like the Trainerball ($35), which has ball exercises printed directly on the ball. We also have yoga ball bases ($11) to prevent the balls from rolling around the office. The cost for this combination is much less than a conventional office chair.

3. Conventional seated office chair ($150-$800), with the optional balance cushion ($15).

We’re happy to report that, after working in this environment for more than three months, a majority of the people in our office have chosen to use standing desks or exercise ball chairs. Many folks, including myself, periodically switch between the two.

We encourage having multiple large computer screens ($180 each) at each desk, space and budget permitting. Multiple computer screens increases productivity and efficiency.

We strongly suggest using a monitor stand ($25). The GTMax stand ($60) supports up to 30 lbs, is fully adjustable up to 22 inches, and allows for desk space usage underneath the monitor. Unfortunately, it’s only strong enough for laptops, not stand-alone monitors. There are countless stands that provide a few inches clearance from the desk, but for anything higher, the only options we’ve found thus far are either not adjustable or not strong enough.

Everyone in the office is offered an ergonomic keyboard. We recommend one of these, in ascending order of distance from a conventional keyboard:

- Kinesis Advantage Keyboard ($269)

- Goldtouch Adjustable Keyboard ($95)

- Datahand ($995)

For a mouse, we really like the Designer Appliances E Quill AirO2bic mouse ($90), used with a TrainerBall Mousepad ($10), which includes suggested ergonomic exercises.

We also suggest people consider using:

- Hand grippers ($20) for relieving stress and improving grip strength. A tennis ball is a cheaper alternative.

- Wobble boards ($12-$55) for use when at a standing desk. These work out your lower body continuously.

- Pedometers ($20) or pedometer apps, for tracking miles walked per day. People wearing a pedometer walk about 27% more per day than people not wearing a pedometer.

Shoes

Many of us wear minimalist (a.k.a. ‘ barefoot’) shoes, which have very thin, slipper-like soles. I particularly like Sockwas ($40-$50). The black Sockwas Amphibian is my all-time favorite shoe for both work and weekend wear: it has a minimal sole, is inexpensive, and doesn’t draw unnecessary attention to itself. I also wear Vibram Fivefingers ($83-$92), which look like gecko feet, for training/outdoor activities.

Sergey Brin has appeared at several conferences wearing his Vibram Fivefingers. As the old joke goes, “What’s the difference between ‘crazy’ and ‘eccentric? A few million dollars.”

Of course, we understand that not all offices will be as tolerant of idiosyncratic footwear. When I’m in a fundraising meeting or a more conservative environment, I use my Bally Pakos Lace-up ($500) which have the most comfortable minimal sole of any men’s business shoe we’ve encountered. For women, we suggest VivoBarefoot shoes.

Conference Rooms and Meetings

We have four conference rooms: one room has exercise balls ($40-$150 each) in place of chairs, and three conference rooms have conventional office chairs ($175 each).

We considered having a conference room with a standing conference table ($950 on up) and anti-fatigue mats. We’ve seen research that indicates standing meetings run much faster than sitting meetings, and we often have more informal standing meetings at our standing desks, discussing screen-dependent documents and individual projects. In our experience, the standing-only work set up has increased active participation and sharing of ideas.

The Galileo room features many spheres. It has been a favorite among visitors.

When the New York weather allows and when a meeting topic doesn’t require taking extensive notes, we have walking meetings. This is an easy way to integrate more exercise into the day.

Office Layout

There is significant evidence that people need exposure to natural light, so we’ve designed the office to maximize windows and natural light. [Check out this article for ways to do this.]

Our office has almost no walls; it’s primarily set up in an open-floor layout. The walls that we do have are made of glass, which allow us to write notes on them. This way, we don’t need any whiteboards. We believe the transparent layout helps to create a more transparent culture. If we didn’t have so many writeable glass walls, we’d use IdeaPaint ($50), a new kind of paint that allows any wall to be used as a dry erase board.

Given that social capital correlates with physical health (see Bowling Alone), we want to encourage people in the office to get to know one another. At the front of the office, we’re creating an office map showing the names of our portfolio companies, and the photos of the employees that work at each.

Some other ideas we like, but can’t yet execute in our current office for logistical reasons:

- Sprung floors, ($15/square foot). This flooring absorbs shocks, and give it a softer feel. Such floors are considered the best available for dance and other indoor sports. They enhance performance and greatly reduce injuries. Although we don’t do too many jetés in our office, these floors are a pleasure to use, particularly when wearing minimal shoes. A wobble board ($12-$55) or balance cushion ($15) is a much cheaper substitute.

- Pull-up bars ($30), for periodic pull-ups/muscle-ups when you have an occasion. In our office most of the doorjambs are glass, but if we expand to another floor we may have the option of installing pull-up bars on doorjambs made of wood. New York startup Workmarket has a pull-up machine at the front of their office, next to a list of the records set by people who have visited the office.

- Treadmill desks ($400-$2,000). The user walks slowly while talking to clients, writing proposals, checking email, or any other activity one would normally do at a desk. You could integrate ReRev into these treadmills; the company retrofits exercise equipment with a device that recycles excess energy created. At least for now, we’ve rejected this idea because of our concern about noise pollution.

- Showers, for people to clean up after jogging or biking to work.

- Nap room, for when our team needs a little rest.

Food and Snacks

In the holistic spirit of our initiative, we wanted to introduce healthy food options into our office environment. But like most offices, we have a range of dietary preferences: slow-carb, paleo, vegan, kosher, vegetarian, and ‘don’t care.’ Finding a solution that keeps everyone happy is non-trivial.

We turned to our favorite health authors (such as Michael Pollan) for guidance, each of which suggested all-natural unprocessed alternatives to the more common industrialized foods. In Pollan’s words, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Here is a list of snacks that we think are consistent with our food philosophy and appropriate as hors d’oeuvres, for instance, when we host periodic idea dinners, intern lunches, etc.:

- Organic vegetables: Edamame, avocados, carrots, celery
- Organic fruit (fresh and dried)
- Organic dips: Guacamole, bean dips, hummus, sugar-free applesauce
- Whole cottage cheese, or whole yogurt
- Mixed nuts (unsalted)
- Mini-brown rice/sesame cakes (unsalted)

We also serve free beer and red wine on Fridays. Studies suggest that light to moderate alcohol consumption can be quite healthy, particularly for the heart.

Finally, we have a list of local healthy restaurants and recommended meals (which we keep in our office Dropbox folder), and are considering signing up for Foodzie to find new exotic foods.

Einstein, the main conference room, includes a wine rack. We hold regular idea dinners, intern lunches, board meetings, and other events in this room.

Culture

Every office has a culture; the question is whether you create and influence that culture, or if it just happens haphazardly.

We’re trying to create a health-focused culture, without making people feel pressured and uncomfortable. In a traditional office, a single person using a fitness setup (e.g. ball chair) might draw unwanted attention, but we’ve designed the culture of our office to encourage experimentation. If someone turns down an opportunity to work with us because they’re uncomfortable with our culture, that’s okay. We consider this the price of having a clearly defined culture.

Other Ideas

We have a lot of ideas that are probably too radical for our office; implementing them would likely make some people uncomfortable. However, you might be able to use some of these ideas in your own office or home:

- ”Shoes-discouraged” policy, with a shoe shelf ($30-$300) at the office entrance. In most Japanese homes, no one wears shoes. Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, famously used to wear just his socks around the office. Victor Niederhoffer, a prominent trader, had a sign at the entrance to his Park Avenue office, saying, “Please remove your shoes.”

- Squat toilets ($450). These are extremely common in Asia, but highly unusual in the States. Squatting while going to the bathroom is significantly healthier than sitting on a conventional western toilet.

- Group morning exercises. Many Japanese workplaces start with a fixed set of morning calisthenics. Our portfolio company Kohort does a group daily pushup routine.

Rejected Ideas

We explored many other ideas, but ultimately abandoned them for not being based on research or sound reasoning. For instance, we looked into full-spectrum lighting after hearing that this new technology (which mimics natural sunlight) was supposed to enhance productivity. We rejected it after reading multiple studies which found no conclusive evidence on its benefits.

We also rejected having air purifiers and ionizers, which remove pollen, dirt, dust particles, and allergens. A prominent study showed that such air purifiers often emit ozone, which damages the body and thereby negates the benefits.

We considered buying health-oriented vending machines (h.u.m.a.n. Healthy Vending, 2bU), as often the choice to eat unhealthily is one of convenience, not conviction. Most of the products available in these machines were too processed for our preferences, but if you can’t provide some of the healthier food options listed above, these vending machines are certainly better than the conventional ones.

Finally, we thought about using e-readers to reduce eye strain, but the data is lacking on whether e-readers or reading on paper significantly reduces eye-strain (versus reading on a traditional monitor).

Closing Thoughts

Winston Churchill said, “The Americans will always do the right thing… after they’ve exhausted all the alternatives.” We’ve now reached the point where 63.1% of adults in the U.S. were either overweight or obese in 2009.

In other words: We’ve exhausted all the alternatives.

As my wife says, the US doesn’t have a debt problem; we have a healthcare problem. The rebounding movement towards a healthier lifestyle in the office will create significant investment opportunities, and we’re actively looking for companies that fit our portfolio. For instance, our investment in BetterWorks was in part driven by our belief in the importance of employee benefits for highly qualified people.

If you know of a product, service, or company that’s working towards improving the office environment, please tell us about it in the comments section below!

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Special thanks to Duncan MacDonald-Korth and Matt Fairbank for their help researching this post.

Posted on March 12th, 2012

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224 Comments

  • Jason Palmer — March 12th, 2012, 1:37 am

    just sell stuff online and offshore, then you can work less so more time for the gym

    Reply

    • eric — March 12th, 2012, 3:59 am

      Doesn’t seem like you read past the 1st paragraph of the article. It is about sitting that kills, not lack of exercise.

      Reply

      • Matthew Caton — April 12th, 2012, 5:35 pm

        If you look at the energy expenditure of sitting vs. walking vs. walking you’ll see that sitting and walking show almost no difference. Walking burns almost 5 times more energy than sitting or standing.

        There are no studies that show that standing kills, because no one stands at work. If everyone stood at work then we would probably see studies showing that standing kills. Standing doesn’t provide much of a benefit toward preventing heart disease.

        Movement is the key here.

        Reply

        • DD — August 7th, 2012, 12:33 pm

          True, yet not true. While you are probably correct that there exists an observational bias with respect to the effects of sitting in the office, there is reason to believe standing is better not because of direct effects but indirect.

          Do your own experiment. Buy a pedometer and track yourself sitting at the office. Then, try it standing. I found that when standing I was more active in the office. As an example, when I was thirsty I just walked over to the fountain instead of waiting until I needed to get up for something else. When I was mulling over some idea, I would pace around a bit. When someone down the hall called me, I just walked over instead of talking on the phone, etc. The downside is a cost in concentration. It’s harder to seriously focus when you are standing. I think you get used to it though, but I’m still conditioning my mind and adapting to standing while working.

    • Chris — March 27th, 2012, 9:31 am

      Sell what? I work 9-5 and am desperate to find a solution to all this sitting! I am great with eBay and am into skiing, climbing, biking, hiking anything outdoors! Where can I source outdoor goods for resale/offshore?! Thanks!

      Reply

  • Jonathan Lunger — March 12th, 2012, 1:52 am

    Great article, thanks for sharing! I suggest spineworx ( about 30-40 bucks). The standing while working one is something one of my friends started and liked. I’m going to replace my chair with the yoga ball right now thank you!

    Reply

  • Morgan Matthews — March 12th, 2012, 1:57 am

    I’m a full time MBA student and spend many hours at a time hunched over a computer. I make myself do an 8 minute workout every 2 hours to keep my blood flowing (8 mins abs, free on youtube) and I move around while I work. Sometimes I sit on floor pillows and use my coffee table, sometimes I work from my kitchen table, and other times I stand at my breakfast bar. The key is to not stay in one position too long.

    Reply

  • Mark — March 12th, 2012, 2:21 am

    I have just recently left my job to work from home, I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to design my own, totally ergonomic office set up. I think it will make working much more enjoyable and make me better at what I do too.

    Great article, with loads of good ideas, thanks.

    Reply

    • Mariana Muresan — June 15th, 2012, 1:48 pm

      Hi!
      My name is Mariana. I would love to know what kind of jobs you can do from home. Whoever I asked, it seemed more like they try to sell something to me. If I do not ask for much, can you please tell me how can I find the REAL jobs that can be done from home?
      Congratulation on your decision!

      Reply

  • Marcel — March 12th, 2012, 2:25 am

    I would definately add yoyo’s. I always have one lying next to me, and when you can do a few tricks theres a nice play factor to it :-)

    Reply

  • Bernadette — March 12th, 2012, 2:34 am

    Interesting stuff. I’m currently giving my fluffy purple socks the evil eye. As much as I’d love to be involved in a meeting at your place of work I just know I’d be the one who fell off the green ball mid sentence ending up on the floor legs akimbo.
    Re- Fitness. I’ve walked the dogs and I’ll walk them again later. Pasta for lunch… Yipee!

    In awe.

    Bernadette

    Reply

  • Jessica — March 12th, 2012, 2:40 am

    One of the best workplace benefits I ever received (before launching my own wellness business) was lunchtime yoga. We’d move the chairs and tables to the edge of a large conference room, dim the lights, and practice for 45 minutes – - it was the highlight of the day for many.

    It’s so good to see revolutionary strides in workplace wellness. With leadership like ff Venture Capital and excellent articles like this, I hope many more will follow.

    Reply

  • Josh — March 12th, 2012, 2:41 am

    I was just researching this topic.

    This a great post on standing desks http://smarterware.org/7102/how-and-why-i-switched-to-a-standing-desk

    Reply

  • James Brooks — March 12th, 2012, 2:52 am

    Great post! Thanks so much for sharing! Definitely going to check out some of these options for my office!

    Reply

  • Wiktor Kostrzewski — March 12th, 2012, 2:52 am

    I suddenly hate my office chair so much…
    My saving graces: walking to work (40 minutes a day, up and down stairs and hills) and walking in bursts (sit at your desk for a while – then take a break and walk around doing other stuff, timers really help here).
    For those of us who tried standing desks: how soon did you get used to it? I remember giving it a go and abandoning the idea due to shoulder pain.

    Reply

    • John — March 12th, 2012, 2:58 am

      Make it a permanent decision. Don’t wait for it to feel good. Just make it a habit and make it work. It’s as simple as that.

      Reply

      • David — March 14th, 2012, 3:19 am

        I have to disagree with John on this. I am reminded of a “personal trainer” years ago that kept saying “push it, push it, no pain no gain”. I tore up my lower back that way and was in agonizing pain for months. The “personal trainer” just shrugged and laughed because it wasn’t him and didn’t care.
        Wiktor is either find a way to make it work, or he will move on to other ideas. It’s up to him and of course, he knows what is best for his own body.

        Reply

  • John — March 12th, 2012, 2:55 am

    I use a standing desk 90% of the time. I work out 3 times a week, and exercise almost every day. I take regular breaks and walks around the property. All this is made pretty easy because I live on the beach on an island in the Philippines. It’s probably a lot harder in the typical western lifestyle.

    The standing desk has produced HUGE benefits. No afternoon slump. Also, if I sit down to do some work (which I occasionally do), I feel my energy drop. I sit down for meals and when I read books. Otherwise, I’m almost always standing.

    You don’t need to spend money on expensive desks either. For my first standing desk, I mounted the monitor, keyboard and mouse on differing piles of boxes. I used the boxes they use for A4 sheets of paper. A true “hobos” standing desk. Don’t ask your boss for permission. Just go ahead and do it. It’s awesome. Enjoy the strange looks you get from everyone and bask in your growing energy :D

    Reply

  • John Phung — March 12th, 2012, 3:33 am

    Love these ideas, but I think the squat toilet would take some time to catch on and get used to lol

    Reply

  • James Shannon — March 12th, 2012, 3:34 am

    As a former ergonomist (got out of the profession for a simple lack of passion), this post brings a smile to my face. Workplaces all too often are put together with no thought on whether they work with the human body and spirit; neglecting this inevitably results in repetitive strain injuries, avoidable psychological distress, obesity, and so forth. These can become chronic health issues over time, costing companies scads of $$$$$ over the long term.

    Building a successful muse isn’t so satisfying if you have to live with chronic pain for years after, so think of these ergonomic issues BEFORE the damage is done!

    Great post, David and Tim!

    Reply

  • Thomas — March 12th, 2012, 3:43 am

    Cool ideas for a home office.

    Last summer, I worked as a cook assistant in a pasta-pizza restaurant and get ripped within two months even if my diet was mostly junk food (pizzas paid by the restaurant, lunch and dinner).

    Back to school, sitting for hours, even with a good diet, I took back 3% of body fat in one month.

    Since then, I think about how would I organize my home office (ok, my studio) to be more active physically when I’m working on my computer…

    Thanks !

    Reply

    • MKG — March 12th, 2012, 4:36 am

      I set my e-reader to white text on a black background. This is so much easier on my eyes because there is no glare. I like reading this way when I’m having trouble falling asleep too because it doesn’t add much additional light to the room, and it turns itself off when I’ve drifted off. I’ve read more in the last 2 years doing this than the prior 20.

      Reply

  • Stu — March 12th, 2012, 3:54 am

    I quit my desk job after a year and a half and an extra 10kgs! Testify!

    Reply

  • Nadine — March 12th, 2012, 4:05 am

    This is a really great post!! It’s inspiring to see what you can do to improve working climate and I love the ideas. Thanks, Tim!

    Reply

  • Ant — March 12th, 2012, 4:20 am

    I would love a standing table, my back has been killing me lately due to long hours of reading.

    Reply

  • David — March 12th, 2012, 4:41 am

    I live in my office chair. I get serious tunnel vision. I find that I am working in my office chair all the time. I also work when I get home and end up falling asleep in my office chair most days. (thought about getting a recliner instead) Not surprisingly this continuous sitting awake and asleep has resulted in some problems. So this article does get my brain on how to better my working(sleeping) environment.
    I love the excerise ball idea, but I usually work with my laptop on my lap. So I’m going to need alternatives.
    The Standing Desk does intrigue me. A couple of cinderblocks and I’ll be set. It’s going feel weird standing in one place without going some place though.
    I’d go further than multiple multiple monitors. Might go with a led projector instead.
    I hate the idea about the treadmill desk. The idea that I have to chase my keyboard to type anything is really aggravating.
    No shoes idea is a really bad idea if you combine the treadmill desk and standing desk idea. The smell is will be…. unpleasant.
    The Squatting Toilet is the worst idea ever. For $450, it is lunacy which only can be found in a rich investment company. Another “it’s in asia, so it’s gotta be good for you” idea. I have to tell you that no on in asia really wants to use squatting toilets.(Note, Japanese hi-tech toilets) They use it because it’s cheap and it’s there when you need it. Plus, Squatting Toilets get grimmy really quick. Add the squatting toilets with the no-shoes idea and I think you’ll realize that it’s a horrible idea. If you’re going to use something asian related, ask an asian before using it.
    In the flip side. FREE BEER AND WINE is the BEST IDEA EVER. Plenty of potential for abuse and not as health conscious as one might think. But an awesome idea. Why make your employees pay 16 dollars a drink at some bar when you can give them the same with less than 2 dollars. Definitely a team building idea. :)
    Overall, I don’t think many of these changes can be realized if the company in question is not a wealthy venture capital firm in NYC.
    That being said, I’m sure there are more affordable option if we look hard enough. Like cinderblocks. :P

    Reply

    • Adolfo Neto — March 13th, 2012, 7:37 pm

      The Squatting Toilet is a good idea. Unless you prove it is wrong. It is more natural. There is no toilet in Nature. Price has nothing to do with it.

      Reply

      • Jitu — April 4th, 2012, 12:03 am

        I agree. I am an Indian. And we have 2 toilets, 1 squatting toilet (costs Rs.5000 i.e., 100$ ) and 1 western closet ( costs Rs. 6000 i.e, 120 $).

        The elder folks use the WC as its easier for them to sit, rather than the squatting one, the younger folks use squatting toilet.

        In India, in fact the squatting toilet was the only one used until a last few years.

        Try it out, great for constipation, you will get better experience and feel more fresh!

        Reply

    • Kelly Tay — May 15th, 2012, 5:40 am

      I dislike sitting toilets with a passion, I dislike sitting on them, I dislike cold porcelain meeting my skin, I dislike the plastic seat covers, and last but not least I have never, ever felt like I have completely been able to empty my bowels on a sitting toilet.

      And I’m Singaporean. Just as many high-tech, fancy toilets there as Japan… just depends on where you go.

      Squatting toilets don’t necessarily get more grimy than sitting ones. On the contrary, I find them easier to clean, as most of them are built to slope, so that liquids and waste would be directed into the toilet. Though I concede that they can be harder to dry, what more when it’s so humid. Also, we may go barefoot, or have the option of going barefoot, but we have slippers used specifically for the toilet. There are plenty of ways and means around issues of hygiene and cleanliness… a little foresight and creativity solves many things.

      Reply

  • Sean Evangelista — March 12th, 2012, 4:50 am

    I use bands for quick workouts between staring at a screen. Press, pull and squats, are intensified with bands. The powerlifting kind come in any tension level you want and then some. Cool thing is they fit in your bag easily.

    Reply

  • Peter Pain — March 12th, 2012, 4:54 am

    Great post, this is something we are constantly telling our patients (we have a full service wellness centre), as sitting is killing us! Another key point is to take frequent microbreaks to stretch. You are better to move and stretch for 60 seconds every 20-30 minutes than to sit for 3 hours followed by a long break. Ligaments and discs deform after only 30 minutes, leading to issues. Move frequently but briefly!

    Reply

  • Konrad K. — March 12th, 2012, 5:32 am

    Hi,

    Great post. I’ve tried standing desk for two weeks last year and it didn’t work for me. I don’t know why but standing position was taking away a lot of my focus.

    Right now i’m experimenting with 3-5min high intesity workout every 40min of sitting work. Next week i’ll have more clear results and i really hope that this will work.

    Reply

  • Chris — March 12th, 2012, 5:32 am

    I switched to a stand up desk a while back – three months ago I think. Love it! I throw in 20 air squats (crossfit style) every hour. I’m about to add situps and push ups as well.

    It took about two weeks to adjust to standing, but I hardly notice it now. I also wear my running shoes as if I wear dressier shoes, my feet are killing by the end of the day. If I have a meeting that requires them, I’ll just switch for the meeting.

    We also added a nice stationary bike to the office with a desk extension and wireless keyboard, mouse and large screen tv. I find it hard to do actual work, but it’s great for reading my kindle and riding when I can’t make it outdoors for a ride.

    Reply

  • Patrick — March 12th, 2012, 5:38 am

    I suggest looking into ComplexCore and ComplexTraining. The head concept developer (Roman Jahoda, Austria) has solved issues related work place/team/organization health, morale and posture, optimal performance etc.

    There is published book and software about the concept/approach. He’s a relative unknown in North America though.

    Reply

  • Greg — March 12th, 2012, 6:07 am

    I used an exercise ball for many months when I was suffering from my lower back (about 10 years ago). It did solve the problem but the fact that it doesn’t swivel nor roll made me abandon this alternative chair.
    Also, it gets quite “sticky” when the office is too hot.

    Reply

    • Dustin — March 12th, 2012, 7:09 am

      They make rolling bases for the exercise balls. The ones I am thinking of are made by Gaiam. I have seen several others though. Just google exercise ball chair and you will see a bunch of options.

      Reply

  • Cathy Hay — March 12th, 2012, 6:37 am

    Love this. We need more innovators in office culture. I’m looking forward to the innovative solution for the mental health needs of different types of people.

    Some people thrive on constant stimulation, some do not. Introverts (for want of a better term) work well by having a place to retreat and think clearly sometimes. They find the current obsession with “open plan”/glass walled offices to be utterly overwhelming!

    This talk explains it well: http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html

    Reply

  • Paul Serwin — March 12th, 2012, 6:43 am

    We recently covered productivity apps and hacks that can help people on a recent podcast. I really enjoy the angle you took in this post, as I’ve been thinking about getting a standing desk set up soon. I also like the idea of using an exercise ball as a chair and walking more by using a pedometer. I will definitely incorporate some of these ideas into my setup.

    Reply

  • Josh — March 12th, 2012, 6:44 am

    Dont forget about the original barefoot shoes…old school Converse All Stars.

    Reply

  • John — March 12th, 2012, 7:00 am

    What a crock-load of American crap. Go take your packed lunch outside and have a walk in the park at lunch-time for Pete’s sake. And if it’s raining? Wait, it doesn’t rain in America!

    Reply

  • Hassan Osman — March 12th, 2012, 7:10 am

    “Recent research suggests that those who sit from 9-5 (more than 6 hours daily) and exercise regularly are more likely to have heart disease than those who sit less than 3 hours per day and don’t “exercise” at all.”

    I guess those who sit from 8-8 and don’t exercise regularly (like me), should really change their habits then!

    Thanks for the post – very well-written. You might be interested in a visual lecture by Dr. Mike Evans called 23 and a 1/2 hours which discusses the correlation between a half hour of walking a day and overall health (9 min video). Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

    Reply

  • Stewart Rogers — March 12th, 2012, 7:13 am

    Brilliant article. The sheer amount of links, research and words of wisdom will keep me going for a while… :)

    Never really considered it before this, but am seriously temped to swap out my chair for my swiss ball to see how I get on with it.

    Reply

  • Craig — March 12th, 2012, 7:18 am

    “Recent research suggests that those who sit from 9-5 (more than 6 hours daily) and exercise regularly are more likely to have heart disease than those who sit less than 3 hours per day and don’t “exercise” at all.”

    This is very interesting – do you have a link to the study?

    I’m a fan of the stand-up desk and have experimented myself going through periods of ‘propping-up’ my desk on boxes.

    Reply

  • Derek — March 12th, 2012, 7:29 am

    I try to stand or be in a half kneeling position when I’m doing a lot of computer work…not sure I could handle a wobble board though haha. Talk about multitasking, I think I’d be too focused trying to stay on the board than get any actual work done!

    Reply

  • dragonbite — March 12th, 2012, 8:03 am

    I’ve been using a standing desk for a little over a month now. It took me about a week to a week-and-a-half to get my legs comfortable with it.

    The best piece of advice I’ve gotten was to put my foot on top of a box or something so that it helps to stretch my lower back. At first my back was not liking it by the end of the day but once I started this it went away quickly.

    Some days I don’t do it enough but am reminded when my lower back gets stiff. Quick stretch and I’m good again so long as I start putting my foot up again.

    It also took a few weeks for my coworkers to get used to it, seeing my peering over my cubicle wall at the monitor, etc. I went through each and every one asking “do you have back problems” or “is this for your back”? I tell them this is for PREVENTING back pain.

    Reply

  • Allen — March 12th, 2012, 8:29 am

    Sitting slouched over a laptop on various random desks during the consulting years, just about killed me.

    My current solution for the home office is a simple set of adjustable track shelves found at lowes. http://www.lowes.com/pd_105766-362-2804_4294936606__?productId=1001549
    Two rails attach to the wall and the shelving units snap in.
    A 20″ shelf bracket with a 16″ board on top, off set about 6″ from the wall acts as the desk top. http://www.lowes.com/pd_105761-362-2855_0__?productId=1001543
    Then I use a 10″ bracket with a 12″ board for my monitors. The difference in size means you aren’t right on top of the monitors.

    This setup is adjustable, but rather than moving everything, I use a bar stool that’s intentionally not that comfortable. This allows me to sit or stand without moving the desk.

    Another option is to simply set something on top of your desk. I had a coworker who couldn’t sit at all due to back pain. He would set his laptop on a box, often commandeered from whatever client we were at.

    Reply

  • RobStorm — March 12th, 2012, 9:41 am

    A colleague of mine swears by the standing desk. I love these office design ideas, helps me consider new things for virtual interior design

    Reply

  • Kathy Sierra — March 12th, 2012, 9:42 am

    I love all these ideas. I work from home, and find my best option is to just keep switching what I am sitting or standing on, so I have a Bosu, ball, balance pads, wobble boards, four-inch thick foam, etc. all within three feet of my standing/sitting desk. But my favorite chair is called the Balimo (for Balance in motion). It is virtually the only chair I can think of that lets you move your pelvis in a full range of motion, and has done more for my lower back (and core) than anything else I have encountered, including physical therapy.

    http://www.balimochairs.com/

    I also like the way the Google campus manages the healthy snack issue — where prices in the vending machines are based on a healthfulness algorithm. A candy bar costs a small fortune where an apple is nearly free, etc. the algorithm is posted, which is itself a learning and motivation tool for making better snacking choices.

    (Tim, you will recognize it as mimicking the range of motion you get from riding a horse :)

    Reply

  • RobStorm — March 12th, 2012, 9:46 am

    and to do with space management, does anyone know a good table/desk that quickly accordion collapses downward for easy storage underneath things (like a bed) while still holding a closed laptop?

    Reply

  • MJ Curtiss — March 12th, 2012, 9:55 am

    Love this one Tim , particularly the foot wear recommendations.

    All good we have just transformed to the standing desks, but the treadmill idea is good too. We are experimenting with our help desk using siri while walking.

    Keep them coming Tim! Btw when is the cook book coming out ?can’t wait

    Reply

  • Claudie — March 12th, 2012, 9:56 am

    One of my favorite tips is doing some of your work (if possible) while performing a physical activity. For instance, if you’ve got to read email or blogs, a good option is using your tablet to read while biking (on a stationary bike obviously ;) ).
    Another thing is also taking care of how we eat after a busy work day… I think that’s when we are most likely to give in and be tempted by bad habits such as eating really convenient (and rather unhealthy) foods. To avoid temptations, I like to menu plan (that can be used for lunches at the office too). A good tool to do this automatically for you: https://framaza.com It also provides nutritional information, so you don’t have to calculate it on your own.

    Reply

  • Colin — March 12th, 2012, 10:01 am

    That Kinesis Advantage Keyboard is pretty much the ugliest thing I have ever seen. Looks like a relic of 1980′s product design.

    Reply

  • Joshua — March 12th, 2012, 10:12 am

    Competitions…its the easiest way to instigate change in a stagnant office culture. We have pushup, pullup and single leg squat competitions every other week. The loser pays for lunch (now everyone is practicing on the sly…and none of us will admit it).

    Reply

  • Sima — March 12th, 2012, 11:03 am

    That sounds really high maintenance. I’m stressed reading this!
    How about have decent amounts of time for breaks (MINUS THE TECHNOLOGY) to get some fresh air or be able go for a walk at lunch.
    Buy some plants to the clean the air. NASA has a great list of ones they used on space missions.
    Create green space with a roof top garden or indoor hanging gardens. We’re so disconnected from nature and ourselves.

    Sitting generally isn’t the problem. It’s that we don’t have a direct connection to see the impact we make in people’s lives or have a chance to be creative in our jobs. Encouraging people to have hobbies and interests outside of work is important. I’ve had to talk to many clients about this. Lo and behold once they have a creative outlet their pain goes away.

    When people feel secure they don’t need extra weight to protect them AND they probably feel safe walking outside. North Americans are scared of everything. What’s in your food, what’s in your water, what’s in cosmetics etc. The bigger problem isn’t healthcare. It’s feeling safe.

    S

    Reply

  • Marc — March 12th, 2012, 11:30 am

    You are living on the edge man! Yeah I want to know too when we can become 4 Hour chefs man!

    Reply

  • Zach — March 12th, 2012, 12:11 pm

    Chewing gum can also be a long term way to both exercise some face muscles and burn a few extra calories. Also chewing gum doesn’t intake calories like chewing food and can be a way to get people off smoking too! Maybe free gum should also be made available in the “company free snack” section.

    Reply

    • David Hennessey — March 13th, 2012, 1:04 pm

      Zach,
      One of my university nutritional teachers recommended not chewing gum since the sensation of chewing activates stomach acids in the anticipation of food arriving soon. If no food arrives the acid can negatively impact the stomach lining.
      Any comments on that Tim?

      David

      Reply

  • Jason Grimes — March 12th, 2012, 12:28 pm

    Another great article by the MAN! I can’t help but think there is room for a service that tracks your time in front of a computer – like RescueTime.com where it keeps you honest at work and productive!

    Keep rocking and stay productive!

    Jason (yes, I’m biased I work at RescueTime)

    Reply

  • Laura — March 12th, 2012, 12:30 pm

    I was the second employee (of 100+, traditional workplace) to get an adjustable sit-stand desk. I merely asked and a few weeks later it was installed. (I report directly to the CEO – an admitted advantage.) I’ve been using it for a month and really like it so far, though I’ve lost a good amount of usable surface space on my desk and I definitely had to buy some new shoes. I still use my chair for about an hour or two a day, usually when doing a lot of typing. Best feature: I have more energy in the evenings now rather than the exhausted feeling I used to have most nights (and I’m pretty fit/active).

    I have an ErgoTron and they are about $400. What I do not like is its desktop material: Post-it notes will not stick to it.

    Reply

  • Marcus Wolford — March 12th, 2012, 12:55 pm

    Instead of a squatting toilet, how about a http://squattypotty.com/ :)

    This isn’t my product, nor do I know them…

    Reply

  • Stephan — March 12th, 2012, 1:52 pm

    Love the post! I have been looking to revamp my office space for a while but not sure what the best options are. This article will definitely help me take the plunge.

    On the topic of standing desks, is there a recommended height? I assume it is based on the height of the user, but I would think there is some relative measure that could be used. Any ideas?

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Sam — March 12th, 2012, 4:10 pm

      I’ve read, and utilized a model where I draw my forearms up parallel to the floor, and wherever they fall naturally (say, 5 feet from forearm to floor) is approximately where the desk top should be. When I built my standing desk (regular desk mounted on milk crates), I ended putting in a couple wooden “shims” in to get the exact height correct. You can also modify this by setting the keyboard or monitor on things, or using a fancy laptop stand.

      Reply

      • Stephan — March 12th, 2012, 9:59 pm

        Thanks Sam.
        I tried out standing and seeing at what height my hands would rest parallel to the floor and that seemed to work well. I then built a little wooden frame to boost up the height of my desk (the top of my desk rests on a couple of A-frames that are kinda like sawhorses). It ended up being almost exactly a 12″ raise in height and so far it feels like a good natural height for my hands to rest at.

        Reply

  • Marco — March 12th, 2012, 5:03 pm

    And when schools will take this into consideration?

    Reply

  • Alexander — March 12th, 2012, 5:28 pm

    How about PC muscle workouts while you’re sitting? or Japanese kneeling? possibly they are better for health?

    Reply

  • Kathy — March 12th, 2012, 5:54 pm

    at my last job, they installed a pop-up that would tell you to take breaks ! Get UP! Stretch. There would be a graphic of the exercises. Even stretching your fingers. You could push the “snooze” button a couple of times then when you had a chance you could catch up on your exercises. I thought it was great, but a lot of people hated it and spent too much time figuring out how to disable it.

    Reply

  • Christine — March 12th, 2012, 7:11 pm

    As a personal trainer, I advise m clients to not have a trashcan in their office or cubicle. Force yourself to walk down the hall to throw away your trash. I do it myself in my office and look forward to walking down the hall. Also, stop emailing the person sitting next to you unless the conversation absolutely must be documented in writing.

    Reply

  • Jon Davis — March 12th, 2012, 8:32 pm

    This is a high value post. Thanks David and Tim!

    Reply

  • David Zasloff — March 12th, 2012, 8:37 pm

    I can’t wait to have the four hour body….I do hope it’s four hours a week and not four hours per day, cause not really sure I have that kind of time.

    Anyway, David Teten is a character who loves our Amphibians. They feature our great sole technology none the less. Tighter in the toebox than our G Series, but they both are just 1.2 mm away from barefoot…..talk about grounded.

    So are we. Thanks to a philosophy of treating every customer like gold and our relentless pursuit of thinner, better, faster, more sustainable.

    Thanks for being healthy too.

    DZ

    Reply

  • Feyyaz — March 13th, 2012, 12:45 am

    Joe DeFranco recommends Band Pull-Aparts to all people that sit a lot during the day:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lnqtibxboo (near the end)

    Do about 20 reps 3-4 times a day and your neck and shoulders will feel awesome! :)

    Reply

  • Benedict Westenra — March 13th, 2012, 12:46 am

    I think this blog post just extended my life expectancy. That’s probably the most value I’ve ever got from visiting a single web page.

    Reply

  • Doug Kelsey — March 13th, 2012, 2:21 am

    Sitting on an exercise ball is touted as working the spine muscles more than other sitting surfaces but it’s not any different than sitting on a stool (although surface area is wider on the ball which tends to give it a softer feel). Reference: McGill, S. M., N. S. Kavcic, et al. (2006). “Sitting on a chair or an exercise ball: various perspectives to guide decision making.” Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 21(4): 353-360.

    Reply

  • DaVaun Sanders — March 13th, 2012, 5:46 am

    Great post! As an author, I already feel like I spend 29 hour days on my laptop. I don’t think we could get any closer without an umbilical cord.

    Definitely going to test the standing desk. I can already see this eliminating a lot of bad postures, like dozing off with my chin propped on one hand. No bueno!

    Reply

  • Felix — March 13th, 2012, 6:19 am

    I definitely want to try out using standing desks. That might just help me fix back problems and keep me more alert versus sitting while at work. I workout 3x a week and get glued to my seat for more than 6 hours. Just too too bad that despite my exercise routine, I’m still high risk. Maybe I should try spacing exercises in between my work hours.

    Reply

  • Fred Hahn — March 13th, 2012, 7:49 am

    It’s not the sitting that kills you. It’s the stress of:

    1. Hating your job
    2. The kind of stress that comes with sitting jobs

    If sitting was so bad, Buddhist monks would die really young.

    It also goes to show you that aerobic type exercise does little to affect sedentary behavior if sedentary behavior is the culprit.

    Strength exercises however are a different story altogether.

    Reply

  • Dr Steve Tucker — March 13th, 2012, 7:50 am

    Standing desks are definitely the way forward for most people. The more I sit, the more I hurt. Sitting is to your body, as sugar is to your teeth. My hip flexors and back are so much better when I’m standing. Standing makes it a lot easier to grab a golf ball and work the trigger points on the soles of your feet a few times a day too. Like feyyaz said above, band pull-aparts a few times a day are great. Throw in some band shoulder-dislocation, some scapular wall slides and band over-head squats a few times a day and you’re all set. Excellent post.

    Reply

  • Jerome Luepkes — March 13th, 2012, 8:01 am

    I use a rubber ball for when I sit at the desk, and when I need to stretch out my back, the laptop goes on top of the shelf next to the desk – cheap stadning desk. A quick mini-workout every hour (starjumps, push-ups, etc) gets the blood pumping and always take a long walk for lunch.

    Reply

  • Scott — March 13th, 2012, 8:09 am

    Another keyboard you may want to consider is the handheld iGrip Ergonomic Keyboard. It looks like a game controller but lets you type 60 wpm while walking on a treadmill or standing. Caution – even though it’s Qwerty-compatible (65% finger-to-key correlation with Qwerty keyboard) it still takes 30-60 hours of use to become proficient.

    Reply

  • Henry — March 13th, 2012, 8:18 am

    There is no question about which type of desk I prefer for working. A standing desk definitely feels more ergonomic.

    Although it can be difficult to get your co-workers to transition to a standing desk, the benefits are definitely worth the cost!

    Reply

  • paul — March 13th, 2012, 8:25 am

    Hey Tim,
    I have been a Chef on yachts for the past 10 years cooking for the rich and vicious. I now have together with my Boss read your book and started today. He’s got to a nice round figure of 140kg, so it’s a challenge for both of us. I have a few questions and needed elaborations, I will also be developing a variety of recipes that may be worth your while adding a link to your website for the curious and bored. How do I go about this?

    Love the book so far, results will make me love it even more!

    Cheers,

    Paul

    Reply

  • yozzer — March 13th, 2012, 8:25 am

    Great article.
    Re: air purifiers. Not all of them emit ozone – look at the O3 unit from HealthWay Inc. in Syracuse, NY. I have done plenty of research on these because of my allergies. It is expensive at about $1000 but It is a life saver for me – it takes away my spring time allergy symptoms 100%. Also, I am hyper allergic to cats and It removes 100% of my symptoms in a house with cats when the O3 is running. One O3 covers 1000sq ft so you don’t need many to cover an office.

    Reply

  • Sarah — March 13th, 2012, 8:37 am

    I love this post! Some fantastic ideas and I can definitely see how this promotes a high energy, high collaboration and open culture! I can see it because I work in a completely opposite culture that’s public sector, conventional, and need to know basis, and a set up like this would be unimaginable! Love it though and can only hope to experience it myself one day :-)

    Reply

  • Casey — March 13th, 2012, 8:38 am

    A standing desk and my VFF’s were the best change I’ve ever made. It took some getting used to, but now I feel noticeably better at the end of a long day. My mobility during workouts also seems to have improved since making the switch.

    Reply

  • Chris Kummer — March 13th, 2012, 9:05 am

    Juggling balls. Refocuses attention and is fun!

    Are you guys hiring??

    Reply

  • Mike — March 13th, 2012, 9:10 am

    I don’t want to be a d-bag, but a lot of the products listed in this post are quite unaesthetic. I wouldn’t be caught dead with that keyboard on my desk.

    Reply

  • Stephen Jeske — March 13th, 2012, 9:15 am

    Sitting kills?! Who would have thunk?

    Seriously though… I sit around a lot during the day. I try to limit the amount of sitting I do in one stretch by having a timer running on my computer (I time my tasks since I get more done that way). When my timer goes off I get up and move around for 5 or 10 minutes, whether or not my task is finished. But after reading this article maybe a stand-up desk is in order.

    Reply

  • Jeff — March 13th, 2012, 9:20 am

    I like articles like this, because they feel like the end result of a hypothetical brainstorm session that I now don’t need to have.

    Reply

  • Mike — March 13th, 2012, 9:41 am

    Now that is an office I could work in !

    I can feel a change in my home ‘office’ coming on……..

    Like it a lot.

    Reply

  • Noel — March 13th, 2012, 10:14 am

    no reason to spend more than $50 for a standing desk. there is a great hospital desk on amazon that is height variable. great steal

    Reply

  • V. K. — March 13th, 2012, 10:43 am

    My work situation is diverse by happenstance, not by design, but I still am up and down and alternate standing and sitting throughout the day. My desk trouble is at home. I will start web surfing and not realize hours have gone by. Is there such a thing as a pedal-powered generator that I can hook up to my computer? i.e. no pedaling = no surfing?

    Reply

  • Gail — March 13th, 2012, 10:57 am

    Don’t let the thought of “noise pollution” keep you from walking while you work. I moved my main computer to the TrekDesk about a year ago and if the phone rings and I think the treadmill motor is at all interfering with my conversation, I turn it down, rarely off. I don’t walk all the time, but stand. It’s actually more comfortable to walk, even VERY slowly, than to just stand, who suggested the latter isn’t comfortable for them. It’s all better than sitting. Getting up after a couple of hours sitting was painful (and I work out), so I figured it couldn’t be good for me, either. So walk, working people. Walk!

    Reply

  • Lean Muscle Matt — March 13th, 2012, 10:58 am

    I’m finally converting my office desk to a stand up desk! Pretty darn exciting. :)

    Early on in my working life I worked at a company that manufactured heart catheters, which of course meant that employees were doing repetitive tasks for rather extended periods of time. To combat things like carpal tunnel, every hour we’d all stand up and someone would lead us through a number of stretches.

    Flash forward to office land and NO ONE has anything like this that I’ve seen. Office work is just as repetitive, so if you can’t spring for a treadmill desk, you should at least be standing up and stretching every hour.

    A great read about a subject that’s obviously close to my heart!

    Way to go Tuna Fish! You’ve come along way. :)

    -Matt

    Reply

  • Denise Kaufman — March 13th, 2012, 12:06 pm

    As well as the cardiovascular damage associated with hours of sitting in chairs, there is also the connection between chair-sitting and back pain, reduced mobility and energy flow. The 90 degree angle between femur and spine (when we sit in chairs) is much more compressive to the low back than standing. BUT – the shapes that keep us mobile (and aren’t even considered in the office options above) are those shapes closer to the earth!! In cultures where people squat they don’t have an epidemic of back pain and even the elderly are fluid and flexible. Put a nice carpet in your office (and home,) add some pillows of different thicknesses and lower those desks and tables!

    Reply

  • David Hennessey — March 13th, 2012, 1:13 pm

    Hi Tim and Everyone,
    Great article.

    Three ideas from me for a start.

    One action I learned from my lovely lady who is a yoga teacher is the benefit of getting out of the chair and doing a couple of the classic ‘saluts to the sun’ yoga movement. It really helps me release tension from my body and help me keep flexible.

    Second action is too make sure I exercise my eyes. One eye specialist warned me that not adjusting my view of the computer for long hours can cause the eyes muscles to lose their flexibility and long term harm my vision.
    So I practice a lot rolling my eyes!

    Third action I sip water all the time when at the computer. It still is amazing how many people read a post I wrote on ‘ten reasons why water is important for your success and wellness’

    Great comments from everyone,

    Keep having a great day,
    David

    Reply

    • Megan Gathers — March 13th, 2012, 6:30 pm

      Hi all- excellent topic! I read through all of the comments and I’m so surprised there are only two mentions of office yoga.

      Having yoga during the workday is one of the easiest and least expensive solutions to promote movement during the work day. The stress relieving benefits kick in immediately and this leads to focused & energized workers.

      I have been teaching corporate yoga in SF for 2.5 years. The biggest obstacle I see is that often the top executives are not participating, so others feel weary of taking the time. In my experience a 45 minutes class is the best length. No chanting or talk of deities- just movement and breath exercises.

      Also on the topic was a recent mashable infographic:
      http://mashable.com/2012/03/02/work-death-infographic/

      Reply

  • Mr Seels — March 13th, 2012, 1:23 pm

    Interesting stuff. Health is the most important thing in life, even more so than money!

    Reply

  • Cathy Baker — March 13th, 2012, 2:32 pm

    This is a giant leap in the right direction for the office of the future!!
    I would also suggest electronic chaos eliminators (google it….)

    Reply

  • Alexis Ergo — March 13th, 2012, 2:50 pm

    I’ve been a huge fan of my electric sit/stand desk. It helps to move throughout the day and not just be stuck either sitting or standing.

    Reply

  • Jim — March 13th, 2012, 3:30 pm

    I’ve tried many of these and keep coming back to the fact that if I really have to concentrate and do some work, I need to sit quietly at a desk. Also, there’s a lot of research that shows that workers who traditionally stand all day (e.g., nurses) have there own set of health problems. So, after this catches on for a bit, I think the pendulum will eventually swing back and people will again return to sitting in a chair to work, perhaps with frequent walking around breaks.

    The walking meetings seem like a good idea though.

    Reply

    • David — March 14th, 2012, 3:37 am

      I have to agree with jim. This is a bit of a fad really. It is true that many people do stay in the sitting position for long hours and that can’t be good for you. Standing all the time isn’t good either because of what Jim said earlier. After that the new thing is going to be what is the optimum ratio between standing and sitting to the closest minute. Of course this is ridiculous because there is no way to calculate one optimum sitting/standing ratio for everybody. Then we will see a personalized optimum sitting/standing ratio catered to your own muscles, tendon strength, posture, bone density and so on.
      Let’s skip to the end and find our own good ratio for sitting/standing.

      Reply

  • Robert — March 13th, 2012, 3:55 pm

    I really like the idea of the adjustable standing desk by marrying an IKEA desktop to height adjustable legs. In fact, I already own the IKEA desktop mentioned.

    HOWEVER, I can’t find a way to buy just the legs of the Workrite standing workstations. Searching WB Mason turns up nothing, and looking at Workrite’s site doesn’t reveal much either. Anyone know where to get just the legs and electric motor?

    Reply

    • Jamin — March 22nd, 2012, 9:09 pm

      Email the workrite website and ask for a local dealer in your area. Contact your dealer and they will be able to sell you a workrite height adjustable base.

      Jamin

      Reply

  • Dan — March 13th, 2012, 4:58 pm

    Checkout Leming Footwear for an alternative to Vibrams that may be more universally acceptable: http://www.lemingfootwear.com/

    Reply

  • David Zasloff — March 13th, 2012, 5:02 pm

    We actually take advantage of using a high bar type desk for our shipping desk at Sockwa. We use a bar stool. I find my self kind of leaning against the desk and or chair.

    Do many different motions, and not repetitive motion helps. Not so easy for some skills and workers.

    Stay active…..Jog when you could walk…go with purpose..

    DZ

    Reply

  • Sander — March 13th, 2012, 5:05 pm

    !!Important – you need to share with people that the monitor needs to be placed so the top of the monitor is at eye level. If the monitor is too low it will create other problems. This fact comes from a PhD in physical therapy.

    Reply

  • Chase — March 13th, 2012, 5:20 pm

    Cool article. I keep a Kettlebell by my desk at all times in case I need a quick break from work!

    I agree with the sunlight strategy too. If I’m not working in natural light and it’s a nice day, I feel sleepy and unfocused- having that white light is huge for my mood.

    Reply

  • Barbara Saunders — March 13th, 2012, 7:34 pm

    I’m wondering why sitting on a ball is that big of a help in this. Seems like it might be better but still allow for way too much crimping at the hip for too long.

    Reply

  • B_in_VT — March 13th, 2012, 7:49 pm

    I alternate between sitting and standing at my desk because of back issues. One quite inexpensive way to get a small home desk that raises and lowers conveniently is to go to a medical supply store and get one of those tables that is meant to swing over a hospital bed. It lowers to a position suitable for sitting on a chair and also raises to one that is good for standing. It’s only $100 or so, it rolls around to wherever you need it (and can tuck under a regular desk as an additional work surface) and is small enough for a very cramped apartment.

    Reply

  • Aidy — March 13th, 2012, 8:05 pm

    Grand ideas and actually I do have a ‘standing desk.’ Defiantly handy and I get a lot more done this way. Brilliant post.

    Reply

  • Ange — March 13th, 2012, 11:01 pm

    I have the luxury of living in a town with lots of parks so I hold walking meetings – it’s easier to get a park there than driving up to my office on the hill, I get some fresh air and exercise and it cuts back interruptions from phone calls / emails / other staff etc.
    My father has walking lunches – he loads some fruit into his pockets and spends his lunch hour hitting the pavement

    Reply

  • Gareth — March 14th, 2012, 4:12 am

    I currently work half the week standing and walking around a lot and half the week sitting. I’m also diabetic so monitor my blood sugar regularly and there is a huge difference during the days I’m standing and the days I’m sitting. I have to make significant changes to my diet during the different days.

    Thanks for the tips, I’ll be on my feet a more often because of the info.

    Reply

  • Jens — March 14th, 2012, 4:19 am

    Tim,

    You should take a look at Soft Star Shoes for Happy, Healthy Feet! At least their Dash RunAmoc could replace your Bally. They are all leather and you design your own.

    http://www.softstarshoes.com/

    Reply

  • Maxim — March 14th, 2012, 4:37 am

    Very insipirational! Although, I think I can hear thousands of corporate workers who have no influence over the way office is organized sigh while reading this…

    Reply

  • Sofia — March 14th, 2012, 7:08 am

    Great article David and Tim! My day job is actually moving into new offices in a few weeks and it would be awesome to implement a few of those tips. I think after-lunch walks are also a must to split your day in two and change your mind before getting back to work!

    Reply

  • Phil — March 14th, 2012, 10:22 am

    Great blog. I suffer from lower back pain (collapsed lumbosacral joint) and find prolonged periods of stillness feel great whilst still but kill me when I get up.

    I will be implementing as many of these ideas as possible in my workplaces.

    Thank you

    Also, just worth mentioning that I do some work for junckers flooring and they do amazing wooden floors and specialise in sprung wooden flooring.

    Reply

  • Keith — March 14th, 2012, 10:42 am

    Great post. Since quitting my 8-5 job I have begun standing while working, meaning an extra 8-10 hours of standing each day. Tough the first week, but since then no problems whatsoever.

    One other comment on something else you wrote:
    “As my wife says, the US doesn’t have a debt problem; we have a healthcare problem.”

    Cute, but no. As others have pointed out last summer, if the US Government was a family making $58,000 a year, they would be spending $75,000 a year while having $327,000 in debt. That is a debt problem.

    Reply

  • vanessa — March 14th, 2012, 10:48 am

    Loved the ideas on staying active in the office by creating a standing work space! Thanks for sharing. May I suggest you also add some more color beside the green (in your meeting rooms) to your offices add some fun textures and patterns to the walls to liven it up a little, making employees, clients and even your plants happier. :) Email me if you want ideas and information on how to take it to the next level.

    Reply

  • Slavko — March 14th, 2012, 11:12 am

    Great article. It gives some interesting approaches to tackle not just weight problems, but overall fitness as well. The world is changing, so I guess that the change should fall on us as also on environment too.

    Reply

  • Renee — March 14th, 2012, 12:44 pm

    I would suggest working out AT work as well. My Trainer Fitness designed workouts specifically for work, you can use office equipment or just your body weight. For $12 bucks you can’t really go wrong.

    http://www.mytrainerfitness.com/products/my-trainer-fitness-6-packs/mtf-work/

    Reply

  • Chris W. — March 14th, 2012, 1:42 pm

    We might have to implement some of the bouncy balls in our office, our execs would freak out.

    Reply

  • Rob VH — March 14th, 2012, 3:43 pm

    Bravo for taking such a progressive and thorough approach to wellness in the workplace. I hope you inspire many other companies to do the same.

    You asked for recommendations and here’s where I can be of assistance to you. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

    First, you’re bang on about the ozone risk inherent in many air purifiers (IR and ionizers). Clean air infused with negative ions is something that could really enhance your work (and home) environments though. Thankfully, there is an excellent, no-compromise product available and which I use in my own home. It’s called the Air Wellness Power 5: top-notch filtration, adapts to the current air quality, and features ozone-free negative ion generation!

    I also noticed that you missed a very important element and that’s healthful water. Ideally, you want water that has been thoroughly filtered but not distilled or RO which are both wasteful, expensive and leave water “lifeless”. You want a system with offers a very high quality filter to remove contaminants, but which also remineralizes the water and makes it more alkaline. There are other factors to consider but I’m trying to be brief (believe it or not).

    You can learn more on my website in the Technologies section and can order there as well. For anyone who places an order and lets me know they read this post, I will donate a full 15% of the sale amount to a children’s charity.

    Keep Well,
    Rob VH

    P.S. Feel free to contact me with any questions or to request a specific charity that you want your purchase to benefit.

    Reply

  • Steve — March 14th, 2012, 4:26 pm

    A standing desk is the way to go. Sitting is to your spine as sugar is to your teeth. Throw in some band pulls and some shoulder dislocations a few times a day and you’re all set. Also, get a golf ball and run your foot over that a few times a day while standing. Excellent post.

    Reply

  • Anthony — March 14th, 2012, 4:34 pm

    I have hand grips and use them often, but my home office is such an unproductive mess that I’m embarrassed to call it an office. Someone shoulf make an info-graphic about office organization and productivity lol.

    Reply

  • Maryland SEO — March 14th, 2012, 6:50 pm

    The squat toilet concept is a new one for me! I can only imagine how that would go over in the modern American office! Also how do you deal with the dry erase dust getting on the floor when you use IdeaPaint?

    Reply

  • Spider — March 15th, 2012, 5:43 am

    Exercies ball is my favourite. Its good to improve your core strength. If you work 9-5 its better for you than average chair

    Reply

  • Lorie Marrero — March 15th, 2012, 7:09 am

    I have been “workwalking” on a treadmill for a number of years and have used two different configurations. I have a blog post I wrote as a guide to workwalking that I think people might find really helpful– it has my top ten guidelines and cautions. By the way, I have since found that I can walk much faster than 2 mph and still be as productive– I often walk now at 4 mph for periods of an hour or so and then slow back down. http://www.clutterdietblog.com/2010/12/lories-guide-to-workwalking-walk-while-you-work.html

    Reply

  • Paul — March 15th, 2012, 7:51 am

    We used IdeaPaint in our office and while it was cool to have a whole wall be a whiteboard, the wall really has to be well sanded and crack free. We found that there were a few rough patches that you wouldn’t normally notice but made for a less than idea writing surface – of course if the wall is big enough you can just work round it I guess.

    Reply

  • HRLauren — March 15th, 2012, 11:43 am

    My boss has both a stand-up desk, and a treadmill in her office.

    Reply

  • _Archer_ — March 15th, 2012, 1:13 pm

    In my work, I can not wear FiveFingers because of the look. But to compensate, I wear Merrell brand shoes Barefoot that have exactly the same as the Five Fingers sole.
    http://www.merrell.com/US/en/Barefoot_Collection

    Reply

  • Maryland SEO — March 15th, 2012, 5:23 pm

    @Lorie – 4mph!? While working!? No way! I have a walkstation too, but I can only manage to do ~2 – 2.5mph while doing some pretty basic tasks (sending / responding to short emails, reading blogs, etc.). I can’t imagine going 4mph – you’re a woman possessed!

    Reply

  • Ken Mackle — March 15th, 2012, 9:31 pm

    Awesome stuff, I believe there is nothing more important then health when it comes to business. I don’t know if I would be interested in the squatting toliet but everything else is cool.

    Reply

  • Tomas — March 16th, 2012, 4:09 am

    Hey Tim, why don’t you try to meet up with Kevin Rose again and do another Random show, I’m dying to see one! They’re always very inspiring (not to mention enjoyable).

    /Tomas

    ps. you’ve inspired me to move to Shanghai, so thx for all the great input, ds.
    ps2, I bought the 4-hour body and the training sections for building mass where great, but the no carb thing which I tried at a later phase just made me constantly fatigued ds2.

    Reply

  • Neal Ashley — March 16th, 2012, 6:20 am

    Has anyone been able to find the Workrite frame and legs on the WB Mason site? If so, let me know…I can’t seem to find. I would like to get an idea of how much this setup would cost.

    Great article as always Tim.

    Reply

  • Vincent — March 16th, 2012, 9:48 am

    Cute ideas, but not practical for the typical run-of-the-mill office that has everyday-clients coming in, e.g. lawyer, accountant, etc. Most have a certain expectation that you have to meet in order to have credibility. A client preparing to pay a $5,000 retainer fee to a lawyer doesn’t want to see him and his staff sitting on pink excerise balls or wine racks in the conference room. Makes it look like we are more interested in “us” and our “fun” than “them.” But I agree that it would probably work for less conventional settings.

    Reply

  • Jonathan DeCollibus — March 16th, 2012, 2:33 pm

    i e.ggtimer.com going off every 15 minutes and at each 15 minute interval, i crank out 20 pushups.

    after i hit 125 pushups, i will crank out 20 curls (or something along those lines, press for example) at each interval with two dumbbells i have by my desk.

    i do this on top of my daily workout at the gym and it keeps my physiology awakened and alive, and helps build focus as well.

    Reply

  • Sabby — March 16th, 2012, 7:16 pm

    Great article, and so important. I’ve been using the standup desk for years now, with a dual monitor set up, and a pull up bar for quick breaks. One quick note, you don’t need those fancy shoes. A cheap pair of Chuck Taylors, Vans, or other simple flat-soled canvas shoes does basically the same job – gets rid of that arch support mumbo jumbo,.. but they won’t ruin your chances with the opposite sex ;)

    Reply

  • Jimmy — March 17th, 2012, 2:05 pm

    I consider myself a pretty in shape person, but my job requires that I sit all the time. I can definitely start to feel it taking a toll on my body. Less energy, bad posture, shoulder pain. Since most of my problems come from my back and shoulders, I got a pull up bar and do some pull ups everyday and it’s worked very well. Even simple things will make a difference. Great post!

    Reply

  • Joan — March 18th, 2012, 7:29 pm

    Great article! Great to see a healthy re-interpretation of the traditional office.

    Reply

  • Nick — March 19th, 2012, 1:56 am

    “The Americans will always do the right thing… after they’ve exhausted all the alternatives.” Well, even though there are some interesting ideas (standing meetings), this also feels like another trendy alternative…

    No shoes is great, but a Japanese cultural habit (don’t bring dirt from the outside inside the house) is a proof of nothing.

    Oh, and I wouldn’t go anywhere near Japanese entreprise culture, given how sad it is for the individual.

    Reply

  • Sadie — March 19th, 2012, 6:45 am

    I moved the trash can and a lot of extra supplies away from my desk, because I *want* to get up several times a day. My co-workers are constantly baffled by this.

    I also have, and like very much, a kneeling chair. If nothing else, it stretches out my quads after biking or walking to work!

    Reply

  • Joan — March 19th, 2012, 1:46 pm

    This is a great post. For an office adjustment that’s easy and cheap to implement: we take lunchtime breaks together and make sure to walk 10-15 minutes to get food. It helps keep us moving and is a great way for the office to bond as well!

    Reply

  • Tiffiny — March 19th, 2012, 9:50 pm

    I fully agree with your article; thank you for such a comprehensive article! The dangers of excessive sitting are truly shocking & yet so many people still don’t know. I use a Standing Fit unit in my office; I still like the option between sitting & standing.

    Reply

  • Smarty — March 20th, 2012, 5:40 am

    Such a great ideas, I’m also thinking about the standing desk to keep myself far away of the chair. Thanks.

    Reply

  • Rebecca — March 20th, 2012, 3:45 pm

    Great article!

    Hey David – my friend owns an office clothes yoga business. It’s FANTASTIC!

    I think stress management is sorely lacking in many corporate environments – mid-day yoga = awesome.

    Reply

  • Manny — March 20th, 2012, 4:35 pm

    Hi, I had a question I finished reading the book, (The 4-Hour BODY). Timothy says that no calorie or low calorie drinks are fine. I wanted to use/try the water enhancer MiO. Would this interfere with fat loss?

    Reply

  • David Teten — March 20th, 2012, 8:18 pm

    Hi, this is David Teten. I’m the author of this guest post. The article is a summary of a much more detailed post I wrote on my personal blog about our office philosophy.

    Thanks for all the great comments!

    @ Jessica (3/12/2012): interesting suggestion, we’ll keep it in mind.

    @Josh (3/12/2012): Thanks for the link. We use Workrite ergonomics desks at ffvc.

    @ David (3/12/2012): Good ergonomics don’t have to be expensive. For example, NewHeights sells a standing desk for around $500: http://www.beyondtheofficedoor.com/RA-24XXNFWT.php. You can also make your own with some cardboard boxes. Also, we hear your arguments against the standing toilets; they did not find a place in our office this time around.

    @ Craig (3/12/2012): see http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/12/834.extract?sid=120e1aa6-c749-42d7-89fd-53e261334371 and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/20/sitting-kills-experts-say_n_430048.html

    @ Allen (3/12/2012): interesting interpretation of the standing desk!

    @ Sima (3/12/2012): our office is in Midtown Manhattan – it’s not issues of safety that are keeping us from being active, but rather the constraints of work demands that have to be executed through Internet, computers, etc. inside an office space.

    @ Stephan (3/12/2012): standing desks should be at a height so that you’re comfortably standing (not slouching) and your arms rest on the desk at a 90 degree angle

    @ Megan (3/13/2012): Thanks for the tip. Great link (http://mashable.com/2012/03/02/work-death-infographic/)

    @ David (3/14/2012): Most standing desks allow you to easily adjust the height of the desk, so that you can alternate sitting / standing postures to optimize for yourself.

    @ Barbara Saunders (3/13/2012): the Pilates ball keeps your core active, which helps posture (as Jerome notes)

    @ Rob VH (3/14/2012): Thanks for the suggestions!

    Reply

    • David — March 22nd, 2012, 7:48 pm

      Thanks David. It feels good that you actually read these posts. Thanks for replying nicely even though I disagreed with some of your ideas. It was classy.

      Reply

  • Samuel — March 20th, 2012, 10:19 pm

    Excellent post. Obesity is a problem that affects many people in the US. However, it’s up to the person to make the necessary changes, such as choosing to eat healthier, in order to lose weight and lead a happier & healthier lifestyle.

    -Samuel

    Reply

  • Dan Bainbirdge — March 21st, 2012, 12:00 am

    Thats really interesting, I have always fancied giving a standing desk a try and think I will after reading this – the whole office sounds really cool too, with lots to think about and really does sound like a fun, energizing and healthy place to work!

    Reply

  • Dave Peterson — March 21st, 2012, 8:20 am

    Great post. As a gym owner I see more and more people come in overweight that are just sedentary … they don’t have “eating problems” the way some obese people do, but their metabolism is no match for their appetite and a large part of that is sitting around all day.
    As a society we are becoming more and more stressed and more and more sedentary. It has to reverse soon or we are heading to a collapse of the (already very broken) health care industry

    Reply

  • Mike Hartmann — March 21st, 2012, 11:22 am

    I heartily recommend the book, “Pain Free Behind the PC”, by Pete Egoscue. This has made a big difference for me. Tim talks about the Egosuce method in The Four Hour Body.

    I plan to incorporate more standing and the like.

    Great article.

    Reply

  • Miguel Psicologo — March 22nd, 2012, 8:28 am

    Great post just what I need, I want to gain 30 pounds of rock solid muscle because the muscles uses calories so if I have more muscle mass my body will burn fat even when I do nothing. I suggest HST (Hypertrophy-Specific Training).

    Reply

  • Bruno Hennig — March 24th, 2012, 2:55 am

    Have a look at this intelligent limbic chair
    http://inno-motion.com/index.php?lang=en

    Reply

  • Ark — March 24th, 2012, 4:03 pm

    This is the second time I’ve heard about the standing desk and the idea that even exercising I have a higher risk than someone who doesn’t exercise at all is shocking. I guess it’s time to take a stand for my health (pun intended).
    Thanks for this info!

    Reply

  • Jimmy — March 25th, 2012, 6:17 am

    can you write a post about how did you get into Princeton?I think many people are interested in it.

    Reply

  • KP — March 25th, 2012, 9:46 am

    My teacher-husband used concrete blocks and a couple boards to improvise a raised “desk” between 2 cabinets in his biology lab then positioned an exercise bike so that he could pedal and grade simultaneously. In two school years he cycled the equivalent of 4000 miles.

    Reply

  • Paul — March 25th, 2012, 8:56 pm

    Great read. I was wondering if you have any exercise suggestions to help with lower back pain common for office workers, in addition to the advice in this post?

    Reply

  • Alexander Waters — March 25th, 2012, 9:25 pm

    I worked in the BPO industry for nearly 5 years. I handled inbound calls for 7.5 hours a day and let me tell you, it’s not funny when you start to have back pains, when your legs start to fall asleep, and when you get sick from not getting enough sleep in the morning since most of the available shifts are mostly night shifts.

    I realized that being active inside and outside of work is very important to keep your body healthy. Getting regular and just enough work out everyday to keep myself active and healthy helped me avoid getting sick.

    Great stuff! Thanks!

    Reply

  • Abby — March 25th, 2012, 9:44 pm

    Nice Post!

    One of the best office exercise which increases productivity at work is what I call “the chair exercise”. This can be done using a computer chair. The good thing about it…it keeps you awake during long office hours and at the same time, burn fat without doing heavy workout.

    Reply

  • Noch Noch | be me. be natural. — March 26th, 2012, 3:10 am

    ahah I sit on a yoga ball in my home office too – but sometimes I get lazy and sit on my bean bag…
    Noch Noch

    Reply

  • John Roland Salinas — March 26th, 2012, 3:51 am

    As working individuals, it is hard to hit the gym when you have tight schedules, specially when you are in a job or situation when you spend more time in work than to yourself. These are actually great tips to get your body working while earning by doing your job.

    Japanese people have this idea that the only way to make improvements is to keep your mind and body healthy. Every morning before they start their work, they have this called “raijo taisho”, which means radio exercise. They do stretching, bending, and jumping to keep their body active and alive before getting on their chair and facing the computer. Sometimes, when they don’t get to have the morning exercise, they would leave their chair and think of ways to keep their blood flowing all the time. They would use paper weights or bottled water as weights. Because they were so concern with their health, most of their senior employees, aged between 40-60 had no problem bending without even worrying about breaking their backs or pain on arthritis.

    Reply

  • Ryan Riegner — March 26th, 2012, 12:25 pm

    This is a great post David. Thanks for contributing!

    There’s something to be said as well about the type of people you spend your work hours with. We are in New York City as well, over across the waters in Dumbo, and our studio space is comprised of three different design companies. The thing is, we are all really good friends, and have been so before we even started our own companies. It makes all the difference to enjoy the company of those that you spend every day with. And because everyone is super talented, we can give each other great critiques and discussions that save us hours in the long run.

    - Ryan

    Ryan

    Reply

  • Maria Fatima Hernandez — March 27th, 2012, 1:30 am

    This article made me realize that being stuck in an office should not be a hindrance to having a healthy lifestyle. The office is set up in a way as to not only gain profit for the company but contributes to the overall welfare of the employees.
    I particularly like the conference room which has exercise balls. Meetings will not be boring because ideas will flow freely as the adrenalin goes up the brain.

    Reply

  • John Waite — March 27th, 2012, 4:58 am

    Really interesting post – though I am slightly terrified that I’m going to get heart disease now. I wish I worked at your company, because I am seriously considering nicking my wife’s exercise ball to sit on at work, though I will have to bear the funny looks…

    Reply

  • Gerald — March 27th, 2012, 9:50 am

    Room with exercise balls? i might want to try that. uber cool :)

    Reply

  • Anne Curtis Wannabe — March 27th, 2012, 8:22 pm

    Losing weight can be tough because eating is some sort of addiction, but when you start to have a little of self discipline and exercise and lastly, when you finally see results? It’s so satisfactory, and you can’t stop looking at your self in the mirror, saying, “Oh! Look at that!” :-)

    Reply

  • Alain Chris Bulawin — March 27th, 2012, 8:40 pm

    It’s funny how technology has revolutionized offices, conference and meeting rooms to becoming sophisticated gym equipment. It’s good to know these kinds of stuff to help those who are busy in their workplaces. But I think there are practical ways and exercises that do not need to revamp the whole office and spend a lot of money.

    I go to the gym once-in –awhile but still diet is one of the most important things to consider. Diet, lifestyle, and exercise are still the main ingredient in achieving the best shape.

    Reply

  • Felix Engelbrektsson — March 28th, 2012, 3:26 pm

    Hello!

    I’ve only read about 64 pages in your book so far(Started this morning and I’ve been working 14 hours today, ha ha) and I have to say it is incredible. It is totally align with my current thoughts and way of thinking in life.

    My dad works as a lifestyle coach and has made me read more books than i can remember in the subject, but I’ve thought most of them were obvious and retarded and made no sense at all to me – untill I came across 4 Hours Working Week.

    Iam already living your way of life, with less money of course, even though Iam working 10-14 hours/day now. That money is saved for my trip to Thailand practicing beginners Muay Thai for 6 months.

    I read that the comments were the best place to get in touch with YOU, and I have my mindset and life figured out already. But I’ve been planning to start up a company selling food supplement/nutrition(Not sure about the word in English, since my native tongue is Swedish.) but I’ve been stuck on where to get products. Since Iam only 19 years old I do not have much experience right now, and I thought this would be a good way to get some tips on how to get started.

    So my question to you is, where can I get merchant for unbranded nutritionproducts? Been searching the internet alot without results. I would appriciate very much if you could get back to me in a mail, my mailadress Felix.engelbrektsson@gmail.com

    By the way, again, the book is incredible and I will give it as a bonus to all my customers at the current company Iam working for. It’s brilliant!

    Thank you very much for reading, I hope I hear from you.

    Sincerely, Felix.

    Reply

  • deborah — March 28th, 2012, 4:59 pm

    What do you substitute for the chicken, beef, or fish for vegetarians in the Slow-Carb Diet I in the weight loss section?

    Reply

  • Todd Nordstrom — March 29th, 2012, 1:57 am

    Hey Tim,

    Exercise is great. But, if you’re talking about heart disease (or weight loss for that matter) it’s 70% diet and 30% fitness (or more…depending on your body type).

    Check out the Heart Surgeon’s viewpoint (he’s also an IronMan competitor) Dr. Dwight Lundell on Fox & Friends

    http://video.foxnews.com/v/1503058626001/

    Reply

  • Allan Gregoire — March 29th, 2012, 7:06 pm

    Great article and interesting studies. As someone who has worked in occupations where I primarily sat for the better part of the day and in another occupation where I was essentially upright and moving for most of the day, I can attest to the fact that I felt healthier with the occupation where I was moving most of the day. Nothing about my eating or exercise habits was different while at each of the different occupations. The only difference apparently and according to your article was the length of time sitting each day.

    Reply

  • Matt L — March 30th, 2012, 5:39 am

    A cheaper and more versital version of the standing desk can be a set up adjustable wire shelves. I purchased two and built an entire fortrace of a desk out of them. They can hold hundreds of pounds as well. And if your like me and move around a lot they pack up easily. Much better the IKEA crap

    http://www.globalindustrial.com/c/storage/wire-shelving?infoParam.campaignId=T9A&gclid=CJbKr8vRjq8CFQIBQAodYg2axQ

    Reply

  • Joe Montgomery — March 30th, 2012, 10:28 am

    There are some awesome ideas in here that I am now looking into. I’ve tried the exercise ball as a chair before, and that seems to work somewhat well. I was surprised to find that people actually chose standing desks, which, as someone whose feet get sore fairly quickly from standing, seems like it would get very tiring or painful after a while. But great ideas and I hope to use some of them in my own office.

    Reply

  • Jack — March 30th, 2012, 1:34 pm

    Your bio: “Tim has packed more lives into his 29 years [at time of publication] than Steve Jobs has in his 51.”

    This this should be removed, because Steve Jobs is dead.
    So it’s inadequate and respectless to Steve.
    Thank you for your understanding Tim.

    Reply

  • MattM — March 31st, 2012, 3:37 pm

    Hate the lack of updates these days, blog feels abandoned.

    Reply

  • Daniel Joseph Best — April 1st, 2012, 6:58 pm

    This seems like a good place to tell you because I know you check this more than email. Look at 4hourbodyapps.com. It looks like something that you would make and it’s really well done even though it’s not you. Do what you want to do and let me know how and why, I’m curious of your reasoning on this type of thing. Thanks!
    -Daniel

    Reply

  • David — April 2nd, 2012, 4:23 pm

    Is it just me or has this blog slowed down a lot ?

    Reply

  • Dr. Sunita Banerji — April 3rd, 2012, 12:15 am

    Modern Chairs however ergonomically designed are a killer. Actually standing for long periods of time can also create lower back pain and cramp your legs and hamstring muscles. As a top skin and anti aging doctor from Mumbai, I often advise my patients to get back to the way the ancient Indians spent most time of the day – in the cross legged padmasana (lotus pose). This pose is also one of the basic poses of Yoga but it’s too bad that most people just do this pose at their yoga studio and forget about it the rest of the day. Sitting cross legged on a soft mat on a solid floor has many advantages. Besides increasing your powers of concentration, sitting this way stimulates the metabolism and increases the vitality. Begin by sitting in this posture for just three minutes and gradually increase the time up to 10 minutes or till the time you do not feel uncomfortable or experience cramps in your legs. You can sit in the Padmasana (Half and Full lotus postures) even while reading, writing, watching TV. It makes sense to buy or create a low level table for your computer or laptop to ensure that the screen is at eyelevel and undue straining or bending of the neck or back does not occur. Good luck!

    Reply

  • Joe — April 3rd, 2012, 10:05 pm

    When you going to write new post. It has been awhile, Tim.

    Reply

  • NCA — April 4th, 2012, 8:36 am

    Hey Timmy,

    Going on a month for a new post or any reply. Now that you’re a bigshot author I guess you forgot about the people who put you where you are today.

    You may as well let this blog go to shit and take it off line since you’re posts and replys are vrtually non existent.

    Reply

  • Melissa C — April 4th, 2012, 5:45 pm

    Hello Mr. Ferriss.

    My question is regarding D-Ribose & using it as a sweetener. According to studies, it actually lowers blood sugar & possibly aids in muscle repair. Do you think this would be a viable addition to the slow carb diet??

    BTY, thanks for the book – I read it front to back with the exception of the superhuman stuff (just not what I’m interested in right now). Big thanks for the 1/2 inch loss from my waist & 3# from the scales in less than 2 weeks (okay I wasn’t that strict with it for the first 6 days).

    Hope to hear from you!!

    Reply

  • Chirag — April 5th, 2012, 12:00 pm

    Dear Tim

    I read your book 4 hour work week, and it completely blew my mind. Somewhere in the book, you said that you got admitted into Princeton University with an unorthodoxed college application. I’d

    Can you suggest me how I should go about the admission process so that I get admitted in Princeton?

    Reply

  • Dan Nind — April 6th, 2012, 7:10 am

    Great post again Tim, makes me want to work in one of these offices! Sadly my office is the roofs of England, poor me eh. Although I do use a nice thick rubber cushn to protect my arse from icy cold slate roofs.

    Anyway, Michael Mosley has done some great research for his BBC programme ‘The Truth About Exercise” that might be interesting too…http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17177251 He talks about how doing three 20 second bouts of intense exercise 3 times a week is enough to give the body all the benefits of toiling away in the gym……very interesting angle I thought.

    Reply

  • KMG — April 9th, 2012, 10:33 am

    My work gives us the option of having a stand up desk. After reading this, I think I am going to put my request in for one now!

    Reply

  • Craig Smith — April 9th, 2012, 11:17 am

    Very good ideas on healthy alternatives to office work. aka sitting on your butt all day. Ive seen some pretty crazy contraptions at some offices I have worked in. Some listed here.

    btw I noticed your website layout on this page is broken. Looks like the main div (content) area isn’t closing or being cleared after your floats. The comments are breaking outside that div halfway through the comments. Some black on black text ect. I am using Firefox 9.0.1 btw, so not sure how other browsers are effected.

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  • Shawn Foot — April 11th, 2012, 5:37 pm

    Standing desks are starting to become popular too, you’ll find that once you switch you not not go back!

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  • Shawn McConnell — April 11th, 2012, 5:39 pm

    You’ll find that offices are starting to realize healthy workers are more productive workers, I try to keep a water bottle handy for quick drinks through out the day

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  • Shenela Tavarayan — April 11th, 2012, 5:45 pm

    it’s very encouraging to see a lot of comments about healthy work places!

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  • Ivon Paginas Web — April 13th, 2012, 12:20 pm

    ok is a useful way to lose weight, one that looks very uncomfortable chair and balls are also a bit uncomfortable, excellent natural light option to say do not stress at work you get up every 20 minutes I gets a bit exaggerated but it could be a good choice too.

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  • Jeremy — April 15th, 2012, 9:22 am

    I’m hoping to open our first office soon and looking forward to these tips. one non-negotiable for choosing our space it having windows. we’re a lean startup so we’ll be getting most of our furniture, etc second hand, but I already have a yoga ball that we’ll keep handy and if the space allows, I’m really hoping to have the conference room double as a nap room. I especially like the idea of rotating between different positions at the desk (standing, sitting, ball).

    Thanks as always for sharing Tim & David

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  • Mike — April 23rd, 2012, 6:20 am

    Check out the site juststand.org. Lots of ideas for standing at work. It is an infomercial, but still a useful site.

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  • Chuck P — April 26th, 2012, 7:07 am

    Hi Tim,

    If I want to use 4HB for weight loss, is it too damaging to add back whole grains (non-processed oats, quinoa, brown rice) after I meet my goal weight? I’ve done searches but cannot find the answer to this. I love the book, and thank you for your time.

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  • Fabricio Pereira — April 26th, 2012, 10:44 am

    What about the bike desks? Has anyone tried it? There are several models on the market, like this one, for example:

    http://thebikedesk.com/

    Abraços do Brasil!

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  • Robbie — May 11th, 2012, 9:31 am

    i think these office “gadgets” definitely makes the working environment a lot more fun and enjoyable.

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  • Jose Lira — May 14th, 2012, 2:45 am

    Very interesting!!! We really need to change our sit / work paradigm. I will start working on my feet during the day from now on.

    Great ideas !!

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  • Whitebox — May 16th, 2012, 2:30 pm

    It’s another example how things are changing around us. One of the worst things my generation faced, being in an office whole-day, was does not getting any exercise or physical movement, which was often offered as an excuse for not being in shape!

    I would personally like to own a standing desk, but not sure how much I would be able to use it.

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  • Michael — May 26th, 2012, 8:20 pm

    This is such a valuable article in terms of micro-ergonomics for office life. From being 22 and quite athletic to working in an office 9-5 I have noticed I get sick almost once very two months. My eyes started to deteriorate and I now find I have to get up out of my seat and look through our door to train my eyes to focus on long distance things also and to at least suck in 5 minutes of sunlight which I know is important for us but I find really hard to do while working in an office. I used to have 20/20 vision, I now need to wear glasses and I used to have a job where I walked around half outside/inside, I was sick once within the whole year!
    I have always had a feeling that how we are expected to work and what is “common” within offices was not at all healthy. I think it may be different in Australia, I get the feeling we haven’t caught up with what a lot of the European and American office procedures pertaining for staff health.
    Nevertheless I will forward this article on to my boss. I definitely will get myself one of those hand grips and begin to implement some of things talked about in this article. Thanks

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  • Alex — June 7th, 2012, 8:58 pm

    Plants, as has already been mentioned by Jack:

    “Check out this book – http://www.amazon.com/How-Grow-Fresh-Air-Plants/dp/0140262431”

    Not only do the purify air, but green plants (aka a window to the outdoors) have been shown to reduce hospital stay time. Green nature is also known to calm/relax us. If you get the low maintenance variety of plants (like pothos, spider plants, mother-in-law’s tongue), it’s a no brainer.

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  • Sabrina French — June 9th, 2012, 2:58 pm

    I have a random question I am a high school discuss thrower and i would like to be throwing much further than i am now how would I do that with out pushing myself to much. What is the fastest way to throw further.

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  • Josh — July 13th, 2012, 1:21 pm

    The tips are great, but there is relatively new research that states the DISadvantages of using an exercise ball are greater than the advantages of using them. Because no one likes someone who simply points out a problem without a solution, I suggest maintaining a dynamic seated position or using a vestibular disc instead of an exercise ball. Cheers, JZ,

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  • Roy Joseph D. Fernando — July 25th, 2012, 2:28 am

    All of us eat. It just a matter of control, control of what we eat and control for our self. Taking into consideration, losing weight would be challenging and difficult thing to do. However, with a little discipline for your self making a routine of exercise, and meal planning i think you will eventually achieve what you’ve desire. It nice to see changes in your self with your own effort.:D

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  • Damir Kovacec — August 2nd, 2012, 6:27 pm

    I am from Europe(Slovenia) and have to tell you that a lot of adults here is also either overweight or obese.
    My friend (weighting over 200 kilograms-440 pounds) just started to experiment with ice packs and Slow carb diet, will see what his results will be :)
    His grandma actualy made him a pocket on a T-shirt so he can put a cold gel pack in it.
    It wasn’t actualy his idea, we saw “LOOSING WEIGHT WITH ICE T-SHIRT” on EBay and she made the same shirt, but BIGGER :)

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  • HealthNUT — August 15th, 2012, 11:06 am

    Hi Tim and David,

    I completely agree with you on everything. Office health is so important for your personal well being and your productivity. More employers should embody your beliefs.

    all, I use twitter for a lot of my health tips. Here are some of the people I like to follow for office tips if you’re interested
    @MensHealthMag (Men’s Health Magazine)
    @office_wellness (Daily office wellness tips – nutritional and physical, some mental)
    @themjroh (an exercise physiologist and nutritionist)
    @pendaflex (have some good tweets on organization which I find important for my office health…)

    Let me know if you all are interested in any more and I will respond with more twitter accounts!

    A

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  • Rosanne Wassom — September 12th, 2012, 4:41 pm

    My husband Bryan and I are both fitness minded professionals who home office. With the progression of our careers, we have spent more and more time behind a desk and were experiencing the disease processes that plague this country; pre-diabetes (me), high cholesterol (both of us), weight gain (Bryan). Bryan was being badgered by one of our sons to get out of the office and get more exercise. Not unlike the majority of us, his responsibilities to is employer kept him at his desk for 10-12 hours a day and short of winning the lottery that situation was not going to change. As a solution he built a desk around a stationary bicycle and his results have been very encouraging.

    As a registered nurse I was more interested in the positive metabolic changes Bryan experienced than his weight loss (20 pounds in 9 months). His total cholesterol dropped 16%, his LDL dropped 21%, his triglycerides dropped 32% and his HDL increased 54% (he did not change his diet). This piqued my curiosity and lead me to my own research. I learned that when skeletal muscles are active they produce an enzyme, lipoprotein lipase, that removes fats from the blood. When people are sedentary and the skeletal muscles are inactive that enzyme is suppressed and fats build up, producing a cascade of conditions leading to metabolic diseases such as diabetes, inflammation (which damages organs and blood vessels), cardiac disease and weight gain. One researcher found that spending 4 or more sedentary hours per day lead to a 125% increase risk of a cardiac event (his article is referenced in the attachment).

    At 5’7″ and 120-125 pounds most people would look at me and say that I was healthy, but I struggle with high cholesterol and increasing blood sugars. After I realized the benefits Bryan achieved by using his exercise desk I had him build one for me. From January 2012 to July 2012 my total cholesterol dropped from 239mg/dL to 210mg/dL. The other lipids dropped as well, but what is of interest to me is that when I ride 30 or more miles during a work day my fasting blood glucose the following morning is under 100mg/dL. The message? Being thin does not provide protection from the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.

    This information is our story, but the articles sited in the paper support the results. There are no scientific studies to support our position, but we are excited by the response from a Professor of Epidemiology and Kinesiology, (School of Public Health, Regional Campus Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences Center for Healthy Living) who wishes to remain anonymous.

    “Dear Ms Wassom -

    Thank you for taking the time to write to me and sharing your terrific story. I wish that more people would be able to make changes such as you and your husband have done. We are pretty sure much of the metabolic health benefits of physical activity is centered around its effects on lipoprotein lipase. Additionally, the skeletal and functional benefits are truly astounding. I often ask people if they could take a daily pill that would have all the benefits that physical activity brings, would they?

    Best wishes to you for continued success.”

    I am passionate about this message. The recommended hour per day of exercise does not un-do the damage caused by sitting all day. We are not going to go back to being farmers and busy in the field all day; technology is here to stay and it extracts a toll on our health, individually, as a nation and globally. I know that not all organizations have the space or budget for exercise desks, but the message is that the way we are addressing the growing population of sedentary workers has to change in order to achieve health and wellness. We must find a way to keep moving.

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  • Andrea — October 2nd, 2012, 2:39 pm

    Interesting idea with the squat toilet. Perhaps an alternative would be to get those “squatty potty” stools and have them available in each bathroom stall. This way, people could choose whether to sit or squat. Just a thought. I really like all of the ways you have incorporated fitness and health into your office!

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  • Jimmy Jones — October 4th, 2012, 2:44 am

    I think going out of your way to exercise at your place of work is just going to lead to procrastination, although there are other things you can do around your work, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking/riding your bike to work instead of driving.

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    • Jimmy Jones — October 5th, 2012, 7:01 am

      Also, I know the most of us are pushed for time when it come to work, but preparing your own healthier meals the night before work, rather than going for the favorable pub lunch will make the pounds drop off. Heavy meals combined with a lack of exercise can be a lethal combination!

      Kind Regards,

      Jimmy Jones | office king

      Reply

  • Julie Chris — November 11th, 2012, 9:39 pm

    I notice that most of these solutions would be great for people who are already healthy, or those that have health issues that are recoverable with exercise and diet (some blood sugar issues, weight issues, etc). However, for many people who have health concerns your set up would preclude doing business with your organization. You state in the article that you don’t mind loosing ‘business’ because of the culture, but what this would easily turn into is that only the able bodied will work there or do business with your organization. You may not realize how much self selection is going on (I’m assuming that this is unintentional), but it is happening. How do you address those issues? I find your ideas interesting, but would probably eliminate myself from ever attempting to work for or with you because of RA.

    In addition, shoes are meant to protect our feet. I agree that our feet where not designed to wear shoes, but neither were they designed to defend against the trauma awaiting them in the average workplace.

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  • Natalie — November 20th, 2012, 10:33 am

    Thanks for this post– I LOVE your office! As far as the comments here go that claim standing is not really that much better than sitting, well, I agree: You really have to try it for yourself to know the benefits.
    I stared standing at work several months ago with a NextDesk adjustable height desk and I LOVE it. I feel more energetic, healthier, more productive, and it’s the strangest thing, but I’ve noticed my appetite has decreased. Has anyone else noticed this?
    I do like that it is adjustable, though, because I do take “sitting” breaks throughout the day, but very rarely.
    Anyway, thanks for a great post. Your office is beautiful!

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  • Sunil — February 22nd, 2013, 6:29 am

    I am of opinion that apart from the above the important part of designing is ‘ergonomics’, incorporation of the ergonomics is vital and indispensable part of designing a workstation. I have also emphasized upon the ergonomics in my blog. The idea is to communicate the importance of ergonomics for the overall health benefits of employees. I like the way you have conveyed the idea of healthy work environment & personally feel that ergonomics is more than important part of office health.

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  • Carlos — April 25th, 2013, 9:56 pm

    Of all the alternatives you give, the Pedometers is the best in my opinion. Studies has shown that people who wear a Pedometers increase 27% of their physical activity. So if the problem you have is not standing up too much, then make it a goal to walk 10,000 steps per day by using the Pedometer (to keep track of your steps), so let’s say for every hour of sitting down you can take a break of 5 minutes and walk around 300-400 steps or maybe take a break every 2 hours and walk 600-800 steps. That’s 3,000 or 4,000 steps while working (I work 10 hours a day btw), plus my everyday workout and the things I do daily it will up to 10,000 steps. It will be hard for some people to achieve this, but in my case which I work at home (I’m a web designer), I’m my own boss, and I can take breaks anytime I want, this will work best for me. The best part of this is that it will only cost me $20 for the Pedometer, and a commitment of course, which by the way is not that hard to achieve.

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  • Mike — April 26th, 2013, 2:43 pm

    I was wondering if you could tell me the frame and the legs part numbers that you ordered to go with the IKEA table top.

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  • Theo — May 1st, 2013, 3:09 am

    Fantastic article.

    Tim, thanks to introducing us to these crazy experimenters. I am going for 3 walks during the day and it increases focus a lot. I am also making my own standing desk to work at home.

    Reply

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