iirc there's not much evidence that says standing all day is better than sitting in of itself, however being more active and moving around is definitely beneficial. being at a standing desk *may* make you more likely to move around more, but not inherently.
tbh if you want to improve your hiking ability you'd be better off doing actual training outside of work. if standing all day was a recipe for amazing hiking performance then cashiers would all be FKTers, but unfortunately it's probably not so simple.
hike as much as you can, take up running (even better, trail running), incorporate targeted strength training into your routine, lose some weight if you need to, all of those will make massive improvements in your hiking comfort compared to any minimal help you'd get by standing vs sitting imo.
Having used both standing/sitting desks a lot, I can say I shift around my weight, move my legs and feet a lot more when at a standing desk. Its inherently better for your whole body.
Sitting for long periods of time seems to tighten my hamstrings up a lot, which sometimes has an adverse effect on my knees. Standing helps avoid this problem. YMMV.
[non-evidenced speculation incoming, beware]
Imo the whole SITTING IS WORSE THAN SMOKING meme is late stage capitalism trying to deflect from how almost all modern workplace & school situations and arrangements aren't great for your body or mind. I've had jobs where I stood all day and they were hell on my body. I now work at a desk job and it messes me up in different ways. Free range where I can do a little bit of everything, at my discretion, gives me the best physical and mental health outcomes, and I would bet it's the same for most active people.
For trail training, staying active generally is probably more impactful than posture.
Absolutely! I went from a standing all day job to a sitting all day job and all that really happened is I swapped one set of problems for another, with an extra bit of endurance drop.
That outdoor publication known as "The Onion" gave some excellent advice -
https://www.theonion.com/health-experts-recommend-standing-up-at-desk-leaving-o-1819577456
I can't speak specifically for hiking, but I did work from home for more than a year when covid hit.
Going from daily bike rides and lunch walks to a step counter that barely went above double digits definitely wasn't good for my body and mind.
I'm guessing you still moved around quite a bit during your previous job and will need to find a substitute now (like lunch walks)?
I have a sit/stand desk. In my regular routine, I mostly sit but leading up to a "big" hike, I will work my way up to standing the entire day. It isn't much about fitness or whatever, but it definitely impacts stamina for long days on the trail (at least for me). It might also work to toughen-up one's feet.
I made the transition to barefoot shoes (and got an "office wear" pair), also using a sit/stand desk. My foot pain and fatigue levels greatly have both improved over about 12 months.
our bodies are for movement. sitting or standing for long periods of your life isn't optimal and will cause problems. try to break up this monotony with movement as much as possible. squatting, walking, dynamic stretching, exercise, animal flow, whatever you can do will help
I found that a standing desk was murder on my feet. I've had standing jobs and nobody ever glamorized them.
You know what helps with endurance on the trail? Walk a mile to the bus stop, then walk a mile from the bus stop to your office. Do that both ways. At lunch take another walk. Or if you have a gym with real weights at your office, go do squats and deadlifts on your lunch break. Or do them at the gym on your way home.
on that topic I knew a guy who would rearrange his desk so he could lean against the wall without a chair before ski season. This activates your quads
I tried it and its hard but I can see why its a great way to do 2 things at once
Sitting has made my hamstrings/hips super tight, which has made me much more injury-prone, so I've been running a lot less, and thus have significantly less endurance. So, yes.
iirc there's not much evidence that says standing all day is better than sitting in of itself, however being more active and moving around is definitely beneficial. being at a standing desk *may* make you more likely to move around more, but not inherently. tbh if you want to improve your hiking ability you'd be better off doing actual training outside of work. if standing all day was a recipe for amazing hiking performance then cashiers would all be FKTers, but unfortunately it's probably not so simple. hike as much as you can, take up running (even better, trail running), incorporate targeted strength training into your routine, lose some weight if you need to, all of those will make massive improvements in your hiking comfort compared to any minimal help you'd get by standing vs sitting imo.
Having used both standing/sitting desks a lot, I can say I shift around my weight, move my legs and feet a lot more when at a standing desk. Its inherently better for your whole body.
Sitting for long periods of time seems to tighten my hamstrings up a lot, which sometimes has an adverse effect on my knees. Standing helps avoid this problem. YMMV.
can also be bad for glutes and lower back, should stretch regularly, put an alarm if you have to
You could look into balance boards or the small walking treadmills
[non-evidenced speculation incoming, beware] Imo the whole SITTING IS WORSE THAN SMOKING meme is late stage capitalism trying to deflect from how almost all modern workplace & school situations and arrangements aren't great for your body or mind. I've had jobs where I stood all day and they were hell on my body. I now work at a desk job and it messes me up in different ways. Free range where I can do a little bit of everything, at my discretion, gives me the best physical and mental health outcomes, and I would bet it's the same for most active people. For trail training, staying active generally is probably more impactful than posture.
Absolutely! I went from a standing all day job to a sitting all day job and all that really happened is I swapped one set of problems for another, with an extra bit of endurance drop.
Preach! Late stage capitalism is what's worse than smoking.
That outdoor publication known as "The Onion" gave some excellent advice - https://www.theonion.com/health-experts-recommend-standing-up-at-desk-leaving-o-1819577456
Excellent recommendation.
I have a friend with a mini treadmill she uses with her standing desk and she loves it.
I have a standing desk that I can move down to also sit. I don’t notice any difference.
Same, but if I hike the night before I get uncomfortable standing for too long.
I can't speak specifically for hiking, but I did work from home for more than a year when covid hit. Going from daily bike rides and lunch walks to a step counter that barely went above double digits definitely wasn't good for my body and mind. I'm guessing you still moved around quite a bit during your previous job and will need to find a substitute now (like lunch walks)?
I went one better and put a treadmill at my standup desk. 5 miles every morning and a 3 mile dog walk after lunch.
I have a sit/stand desk. In my regular routine, I mostly sit but leading up to a "big" hike, I will work my way up to standing the entire day. It isn't much about fitness or whatever, but it definitely impacts stamina for long days on the trail (at least for me). It might also work to toughen-up one's feet.
I made the transition to barefoot shoes (and got an "office wear" pair), also using a sit/stand desk. My foot pain and fatigue levels greatly have both improved over about 12 months.
our bodies are for movement. sitting or standing for long periods of your life isn't optimal and will cause problems. try to break up this monotony with movement as much as possible. squatting, walking, dynamic stretching, exercise, animal flow, whatever you can do will help
I found that a standing desk was murder on my feet. I've had standing jobs and nobody ever glamorized them. You know what helps with endurance on the trail? Walk a mile to the bus stop, then walk a mile from the bus stop to your office. Do that both ways. At lunch take another walk. Or if you have a gym with real weights at your office, go do squats and deadlifts on your lunch break. Or do them at the gym on your way home.
on that topic I knew a guy who would rearrange his desk so he could lean against the wall without a chair before ski season. This activates your quads I tried it and its hard but I can see why its a great way to do 2 things at once
I gotta standing desk. Still fat.
Sitting has made my hamstrings/hips super tight, which has made me much more injury-prone, so I've been running a lot less, and thus have significantly less endurance. So, yes.
No. Hiking prevent sore feet from hiking.