But standing is bad too . . .
Let's think this whole "sitting is bad for you" that we're all hearing now. Does "sitting is bad" mean "standing is good"? No. Standing all day is bad for you too.
Besides which, if you look at the studies everyone is citing they don't show that sitting is bad, but rather that sitting at a low chair too long is bad for you. Sitting at a low chair is all they studied, so inferring anything about sitting any other way or the supposed virtues of standing is unwarranted. What is harmful about sitting in a low chair is the extreme 90 degree trunk to thigh angle of the body. Increase that angle to 130 degrees by perching on the edge of a bar stool, or a saddle stool (the legs drop down), or a recliner if it were possible to work in that position, and sitting isn't bad for you, but you still don't want to stand all day.
Another added benefit of a high saddle stool at a "standing desk" is that it activates your abs without your needing to do anything or think about it, and the upright natural posture you automatically take also allows normal rather than shallow breathing (low sitting closes the chest), another reason these studies say sitting is bad. I think it is well-known that shallow breathing generates stress. So it all depends on how you sit. Don't kid yourself folks, standing isn't necessarily good. The best thing is to shift positions through the day, which is much easier and more natural to do at a "standing desk".
Now if you walk in place that is another thing entirely. If I'm walking in place I actually can stand much longer because there is far less stress on the back when moving than when stationary. And no matter what you do you really should put your feet up on your lunch hour so the blood can drain back out of your lower body rather than pooling there.
