"Standing" as Exercise !?
 

I posted this in the main exercise forum, but very little bite. I think I'll have more success with discussing it here in my own age group. Backstory, I've been having a progressively very sore hip (probably from sitting far too much this last year), and lately , in the last couple of weeks, I have discovered a new thing in my fitness life. It never ever occurred to me, as I am an all or nothing (sit for hours and knit, or get up and go for a big hike)... but standing is in itself, I am finding, a core-strengthening exercise ! Yes, standing is also a gentle low-impact, low-stress, no-cost, no-time allotment... in fact, of which doesn't get in the way of much at all (except adjusting the height of laptop etc, to counter height with books, etc.. lol). I know there is a product called a standing desk, but I like to improvise with books and such.

In fact, standing more in the last couple of weeks, I know that my muscles have had to get use to this. Sitting is now for early morning and after dinner... but in the day, I am trying to stand more, and sit for 'time-out' breaks. I think it's going to really change things in the long run.

Any of you up for standing?

Since you have been sitting most of the time, standing is a good way to begin an exercise regime. Once you can do that w/o hip pain, how about walking a short way, then build on that? Try to increase your stamina daily, and set goals that will increase your total time being mobile, without inflicting pain. Keep posting here, and let us know how it's going. I care about your progress. :hug:

Standing is actually more difficult for me than walking. It not only takes more effort, it also causes more muscle pain and stiffness the next couple days (I get the same soreness as after any "new" exercise).

I think the reason standing is so much harder for me than walking, is because I don't have great balance, so standing actually is more work than walking.

I would rather walk all day (if I had the opportunity for occasional seated rest periods) than stand all day, because standing is incredibly painful if I'm not moving. I've even had to leave hubby in the grocery store or Walmart line so that I could walk around while we waited. Lower back and upper thighs just become unbearably sore and stiff.

I also find standing more difficult than walking or even jogging. I do try to stand as much as possible instead of sitting or lying down. It does build stamina.

Standing for me is excruciating. I can walk around for a while (eventually that makes my low back ache) I can tolerate that if I can sit down from time to time, but to stand and keep standing ~ just horrible ~ makes my knees pain terribly. If I am going somewhere where I know I will have to stand, I have this neat little folding chair I take along. It helps me so that I don't have to pass up fun stuff because of the worry of having to stand.

I have been thinking about adding standing as a part of my routine. I sit all day at a computer and think that standing some will help my edema and hip pain. I don't think that I can stand all day. I still have to figure how to adjust my small workspace for both sitting and standing. I can not get a new desk and will need to be able to change the position of the monitor, keyboard and mouse plus be able to use the phone. Books would be awkward. Where there is a will, there is a way. I will work something out.

I like this attitude!! :yes:

Good idea and great attitude! You rock! :carrot:

When I did Data Entry, the company decided that we would be more productive if we stood instead of sitting, so they made all the work stations standing work stations. It was hard to get used to at first. Sometimes we stood at one station and worked and that was very hard on the back and knees to just stand in one place for hours. Other times, we worked rotating between 3 workstations, so we were moving. That was much easier on the body, and actually very invigorating. After a while, people were complaining so much that productivity went down and they lowered all the workstations back to sitting except for 1 row. That was used by those few who preferred to stand. Me? I took the sitting workstations, because it was choice between the 2. I would have liked to split my day between the two, but you couldn't do that unless you found another person who wanted to do the same thing and you could switch with them.

Sitting is very bad for your circulation in your legs. You can get blood clots. That's why they tell you to get up and walk around every hour. We weren't allowed to do that at work. It was work, work, work! LOL

Carol Sue ~ I think I am experiencing the effects of ~ sitting is bad for you. I am a nurse, but changed jobs because that had become too stressful for me. Now my job is a sit down (mostly) job and I feel that it has affected my health negatively. However, it was a toss up ~ the stress was having a negative impact ~ so is the sitting. I sort of feel stuck ~ a stroke or heart attack from the stress or blood clots from the sitting? Retirement can't come soon enough. :(

Oh, I hear ya, Gayle! I retired in 2010 and have been in the hospital twice since then. I know I sit around too much because I love to read, but I am trying to make myself exercise for 30-60 min per day, just to get myself moving. I am cleared for full activity and am getting back to doing the laundry and cleaning, which DH was doing while I was recouperating. It's a vicious cycle. At least being retired, it's within my control when I move and when I sit.

Good luck to you. I hope retirement comes soon!

I agree