Programmers standing tall.

Taller desks are sprouting up, and the tech team at MotiveQuest stands up for health and productivity. When we recently moved offices, we wanted our desks matching and everyone seems to like the larger table top that I have been using for the last year. The desk height is adjustable for sitting or standing, but most of the team has decided to stand finding it more productive and healthy. We have stools to give our feet a rest.

My desk

After several years of office work, I noticed tiredness creeping in along with declining health even though I commute by bicycle. From my post, “Get Off Your Butt,” and the follow-up, “Standing Workstation at the Office,” you’ll see all the reasons I switched to a standing desk. After more than a year of standing at work, I’m healthier, more productive, and much happier. Below are some of the research and news reports:

Sad Stats

• “Most U.S. youths unfit to serve, data shows” Pentagon study reveals 35% age 18-34 physically unfit, was 6% in 1987.
• Obesity.org says “no state met the Healthy People 2010 objective of 15 percent”
• “Study Finds that Sitting May Increase Risk of Disease” (2007) stating, “Only 28 percent of Americans are getting the minimal amount of recommended exercise” and “exercising, even for an hour a day, was not sufficient to reverse the effect [of physical inactivity.]“
• “Rising obesity will cost U.S. health care $344 billion a year” by 2018 eating 21% of costs for the physically unfit.

In addition, part of the team has taken the pledge to commute to work on bicycle for the month of September encouraged by the Bike Commute Challenge presented by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.