I, too, was concerned that going from an all-sitting to all-standing arrangement was simply trading one set of bad effects for another, so I split my desk into two heights and put a monitor on each (mirrored). With a wireless keyboard and mouse I can move between sitting and standing whenever I feel the need. Interestingly, I find myself wanting to stand when I'm writing new code from scratch, whereas to debug or merge I want to sit. I don't track my weight so I can't speak quantitatively about that aspect of it, but overall it feels much better. When I'm stuck working at an office away from home I actually miss it.
Are motorized height-adjustable desks really so hard to come by in the states? I ask because they are the norm here in Denmark and most office workers use them to stand up for part of their workday.
I'm always surprised to see guys set up improvised standing desks on filing cabinets and stuff like that. From several years of experience: You need to be able to sit OR stand at your desk. In a very short time, you will automatically alternate between these positions whenever you feel tired in the back (from sitting) or feet (from standing).
I would never work somewhere that didn't provide a motorized desk. I have gotten so used to it that I even have one in my home office (http://imgur.com/A1eS2), set me back about a thousand bucks, an amount most of us would spend on gadgets without blinking.
My company (in the US) has just started upgrading to adjustable height desks in the past year or two; they're not motorized, but have a mechanical system that allows you to adjust it easily despite the weight of the desk and monitors. I tried alternating between sitting and standing, but I've fallen back into the habit of sitting again. Perhaps I should give standing another try.
I am very interested in this info as well. Between work, contract gigs, and my own projects I spend too much time sitting.
I had a habit of going for a mid-day mile or two walk to help balance things out, but the weather has been so toasty lately that I just can not bring myself to do that anymore.
I am definitely feeling the effects of the sedentary lifestyle.
I disagree with the notion that you "need" to sit or stand. I've been standing while working for over a year now. I stand for 8+ hours a day, and even when I take a lunch break I find myself standing while eating.
My standing desk is just a normal desk put on top of cinder blocks so my drawers and surface are all setup for standing.
Can you wear tenis shoes all the time? I know part of the issue with my old desk was it was required I look nice for some meetings (and wore "nice" shoes with wooden heels) or sandals because the room had a stupid cooling system (and the dev area was almost 80F).
Both of those cut down on the time I could handle standing.
The Galant series of IKEA desks are available in motorized form in Sweden, and I assume in Denmark too. They cost about $800. They don't seem to be available in the US though.
I have been standing for about a year. As far as I can tell there are no bad effects from standing. It does take time to build the stamina to stand constantly for a day, but that is just a matter of temporary fatigue while your stamina improves. Once your stamina is to the point that you can stand all day every week, there are no downsides as far as I can tell.
It's important to ergonomically adjust your desk so that it's in the correct position, of course. Stand normally with your arms limp at your sides. Now, without moving your elbows, bring your hands up such that your forearms are horizontal, hands straight in front of you. Your hands now indicate where your keyboard should be -- roughly an inch or two below your elbow. Your mouse should also be reachable from that position without moving your elbow.
