21 May 10 Standing At Work
Time for another little experiment. This time, I am trying out a new office arrangement that will allow me to stand up while I am doing my computer work all day.
Work had a stand of sorts I could put on top of my desk that was shy of the right height for me. According to OSH, the height for precision standing work should be about 5cm above elbow height. The monitors also did not get to eye level height either. A booster was needed.
Enter some monitor stands and the right height was achieved. The keyboard is about at elbow height and my monitors are at the right height. Well, almost at the right height. One of them does not extend high enough so one of my training companions from a certification class has been called into duty as a monitor stand.
The only missing piece is a foot rest. Both the OSH recommendations and the 43Folders wiki entry on Working while standing recommend a footrest to help keep your back and hips strait. I’ll be hunting this weekend for something about 20cm – 30cm tall to use.
Why am I doing this? I got this idea when I saw co-worker have a standing setup at his cube. It looked interesting and could be an option to get more active. After the surgery, I have been somewhat of a lump and need to combat the inactivity. There is a lot of documentation out there on how standing while working can be a benefit. It convinced me to give it a try if I had the chance.
So far the experiment has been a success.I have been feeling more productive, I have more energy during the day, and I think it’s been making me sleep better as it tires me out more during the day so I am not up to 1-2am.
The downside is I am still getting used to standing for long periods. I am confident the discomfort will go away eventually. When I was a trainer and when I worked at Boy Scout camp, I was on my feet all day and it was not bad. I can handle it when my body gets used to it. The pain now will be worth it later. Meetings are a nice break where I can rest my legs and back if I am having a bad discomfort day.
Check back in about a month and I’ll post some updates on how the experiment is progressing.
Further reading:
- The Benefits of a Stand Up Desk at Work
- Wikipedia – Standing Desk
- NTY: Can’t Stand to Sit Too Long? There’s a Desk for That
- 43 Folders Wiki – Working while standing
- Lifehacker – Create a Simple Standing Desk for $20
- Lifehacker – Save Your Back and Some Cash with a DIY Standing Desk
- OSH Answers – Working in a Standing Position
Tags: exercise, experiment, standing, work
14 Apr 10 Trying for Fitness with Get Running
After getting my gallbladder yanked out, my health went to pot again. I gained a bunch of weight and I am horribly out of shape. It’s not a pretty health picture. I dread to find out what my cholesterol is back up to. Yuck.
To fight that, I am trying to keep on schedule to working out. I made 2 of 3 workout nights last week and aim to hit all 3 this week. I want to get into a better shape than pathetic for the Crazy Legs walk coming up. It would be a sad, sad day to have a 2 mile walk kick my ass. Unfortunately, that is the state I am currently in.
Here is where my membership to Snap Fitness comes in. One day I would like to run. I am not a runner, so it’s something I want to try. I like trying things that don’t seem like something I should do. For example, Ballroom dancing. It didn’t seem right for someone from my gene pool to be able to dance. In college, I could cut a decent rug. My skills for dancing are rather rusty now, but I was good back then.
So the latest attempt at something that is not an expected activity is running. Before I get running, I am using the elliptical machines at Snap to get into a shape to be able to run. My legs need some warning before I hop onto the road or a path. I do not want to be rude to a body part that historically has fought against rapid locomotion.
My assistant is the couch to 5k program via the Get Running app on my iPhone. It is a good guide so far for my running experiment. Maybe at it’s conclusion I will find a 5k to test out my new locomotion skills. Though let’s not get too high of expectations. My goal is to be able to wander around England in June without feeling like I need a Segway to carry me around. Small goals can combine to big things.
Since the app has a Twitter post feature, keep an eye on my twitter page to see how I am keeping up.
Tags: c25k, exercise, health, iPhone, Snap Fitness
02 Apr 09 New York, New York
I love half days! Just about done with work and then off to the airport for vacation.
Stay tuned for notes, pics, and ramblings.
Tags: travel
31 Oct 08 Halloween 2008 Liveblog!
It’s time for live blogging! I’ll chronicle the night of Trick or Treaters all night long.
Note: For those reading this through RSS readers, it might not mark the post as new when I update it. If you want to keep up to date, swing on by and keep hitting that reload!
5:16 pm – Computer is setup, dogs are fed, can see people getting prepped outside, but no candy yet. It’s in the wife’s car, so have to wait till she gets home to officially open for the night!
5:40 pm – Wife is home with FOOD! (for me) and candy (For Me! OK, for trick or treaters too)
6:13 pm - In a repeat of last year, the light wasn’t on! I gave it a stern talking to and it assured me it would stay on this time.
6:17 pm – First visitors of the night! A fairy, a bride, and Harry Potter! Ulric gave them a greeting of champions when they arrived.
6:26 pm – New York Yankees and Michigan fans, along with a mini vampire DOG OF DEATH!!! (From it being a well known fact any pets put into a costume automatically want to kill you out of embarrassment. That or the dog was dressed like a vampire. )
6:29 pm – Not Halloween related, but there was a commercial of a puppy running in a field with the text saying it was a “Political Ad Break” I would beg to differ, the cats are planning an attack ad in response!
6:39 pm - Vampire, skeleton, and a wagon made up like Herbie the Love Bug. Mad props for the Herbie! (Ulric bark count upon their arrival, 3)
7:00 pm – Slow night so far, but means more candy for me! Also notes for costumes for next year, Mr Clean or a Superfan.
7:05 pm - A pop tart and an elf! (Ulric’s Bark Rating: 11)
7:27 pm - Yugio, a witch, a baby in a pumpkin outfit, and a queen! (Ulric “Barky Bark” Schaab’s # of greetings: 19)
7:41 pm – A gaggle of uncostumed teenagers. Save one, she was in a weird baby getup.
7:45 pm – A ghost and a princess. Also Ulric has decided to go as a broken Home Security System this year!
7:47 pm-Count Chocula, a Pirate, and the Pope! I am a bit disappointed the Pope was not trying to kill or exorcise the Count. He’s a vampire for heaven’s sake!
8:15 pm- That’s it for the night! A slower year than last, but I get more candy now! Good night and Happy Halloween!
28 May 08 The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round
I’m back to being a bus commuter. The trip now is about 2-3 times longer than at my old job, but it is relaxing. The end result is more time traveling with the benefit now of having a fairly solid I-can’t-work-any-later-than-this time.
With the extra time comes a need for something to do. I have a few podcasts I listen to, but they only run about an hour each. The podcasts only last for a single one way trip and I have only enough to last about half the week. I have 5 hours or so of time to fill up. Reading is a possibility, but reading on a moving vehicle can result in a sick feeling I would like to avoid.
So what I would like from my readers our there are some podcast or audiobook options. I am pondering getting an Audible subscription again, so anything off of Audible.com would be an option.
08 May 08 Dairy Free Day 2
A few temptations today. I normally have some breakfast with cheese on it. Today, I had to sadly peel the cheese off of em before eating.
Dairy free today, and breathing clear. Maybe there is a connection.
07 May 08 2 Week Trial #1: Dairy Free
In an attempt to be a bit healthier and to be able to breath better, I am starting my first 2 week trial. It will be a two week trial to see how it works. At the end of the test, I’ll see if it’s something I want to keep doing.
This one is going to be hard. No dairy. Here are my rules:
- No direct dairy, cheese, milk, ice cream, etc
- Butter is OK if it is part of the recipe, not spread on things
Not too complex. I’ve already got some soy milk to replace milk and it tastes pretty good. Day one has been smooth and dairy free. I don’t feel majorly different, but I am able to breath a bit better today. There are some mixed reports that dairy can cause excess or thickened mucus production. Some folks say that is the case, some say it has no affect. This trial will see if it works for me.
The benefits for me if this works will be better sleep. I am having problems being able to breath clearly at night thus resulting in me not being able to sleep well. My wonderful nasal pathways did not follow the general plan to be an appropriate size for someone of my build/size. Even a little bit of nasal blockage makes it damn hard to breath, the passage is rather small. The goal is to reduce the mucus, make it easier to breath, and to hopefully be able to sleep better.
Now I could just try to use decongestants to get by to breath easier. I have tried that, and the side effects unfortunately are not worth it. Pseudoephedrine works to clear the nose, but it gives my face muscle spasms that just feel wrong. It also make me sleepless. The over-the-counter alternative phenylephrine doesn’t work for me. Nasal sprays are not meant for long term use and make the blockage much much worse after it wears off. What is left is a quest to find the source and fix the issue. The dairy free test is an attempt to find the source.
More updates as they come!
17 Apr 08 Sickness sucks…
It sucks being sick. It’s nowhere near fun to have a migraine, fever, huge congestion, and general feelings of crappiness. But what really takes the cake for me, and makes no sense, is that what is most annoying right now is that my eyes hurt. If I move my eyes in any direction, they don’t hurt. If I try to move my eyes to look far to the left, right, up, down, any direction, and it hurts like hell. It feels like I pulled my eye muscles somehow. It sucks.
08 Apr 08 3 Years Today!
Today marks our 3 year anniversary! While our marriage has been anything from normal from how we met and married to the current health challenges we face today, it’s been a fun ride. Here’s to many more and good health to follow!
19 Jun 07 Father’s Day Weekend
Back after a fun father’s day weekend! Had a great time down in Illinois, ate way too much food, had good times with the family, and the dogs had a great time too.
Ulric is getting tons better around people. Dad and Dina were able to pet him. L and I are able to pet him without him shrinking away from us. Big score there! He sat on my lap for a while on the drive home, and he was comfy and even took a nap there. He’s progressing nicely.
And a belated birthday to my friend 11frogs!
