I'm experimenting with a stand up desk and was wondering if anyone has used them. If you have, what are you thoughts on them? I've converted my extra drawing table to a desk surface, with a shelf at eye height for my laptop. With a anti-fatigue mat on the floor, I should be good to go.
I don't have one, but I know that sitting for long periods of time doing my coding...I have to code at times standing beside my table....my legs get achy. I am just not sure I would want to stand all day on the job, or sit all day as well. Let us know how it is working out for you with your desk. I would like to know how others like them!
I don't know that I'd want to be standing for 8 hours either, but so far this has been pretty nice. I have a drafting chair I can use when I feel the need to sit. I decided to give a try because of the aching leg problem. Then I got to thinking - I stand up to paint or use my light table and I can do that for hours on end, why not study standing up?
I'll post a pic later of my setup.
My son gave me a TrekDesk for Christmas last year because I put in 10-hour days transcribing and then I go right from there to studying and so I was sitting all day long. I absolutely love my TrekDesk. It is a huge desk that fits over your treadmill and so I walk while I study. You walk slow enough that it does not interfere with studying and looking up codes, taking tests, etc. The only time I have to stop the treadmill is if I am stuck on a problem.....then it seems to take my whole body to solve it.
I had dreamed for years of rigging up a standing desk. I can walk for hours on my treadmill and not even realize it. I have the incline up to about 6 and I walk at about 2 and sometimes 1.5 and that seems to let me do whatever I want on the desktop. I think someone could take a look at this TrekDesk and pretty much build one for their treadmill. What you want is a large enouigh desk area for plenty of books. This desk is huge. I can have all my code books and my computer on it at one time.
I hope your desk works out for you. I think you will love it.
I don't think a Trek Desk would work for me...because coding does take everything I have! However, I am sure for some people it works wonderfully for reinforcing learning! (We used to have to teach our son to spell his spelling words while riding his bike! It was the ONLY way to get him to remember how to spell his words!) For those of you who can use a Trek Desk...not only are you getting your exercise, but you may be reinforcing what you are learning!
I have noticed one thing about standing and working: it is a lot like being aware of your tongue. Once I forget that I'm standing, I get a lot of work done. If I become aware of standing, then I'm concentrating on my feet more than anything else.
I've had a bit of lower back pain, probably from the change in posture, but nothing a Bayer Back and Body doesn't take care of. At the end of a typical study period, which is usually 4-6hours (depending on the number of interruptions), I have noticed that I'm not nearly as tired, and the dull leg ache is gone.
Lana, I checked out the TrekDesk website - very cool and intriguing. Does the movement not bother you?
This sounds like a really great idea!!!! I also babywear my 10-month old while she is napping, which is pretty much the only time I can do any transcription. I am only on my 2nd module but I hope to finish soon so I can become a work-at-home medical transcriptionist. This would be a great way to get exercise while transcribing while my baby is sleeping! Win-win-win!!!!
Off-topic: I see many of you who say you are already MTs and not finished with this course yet. I thought you had to finish an MT course before you could become a MT???? I would love work at home as an MT to bring in money while I am doing this course if possible!!!!
Hi Jenn,
I have not yet used the TrekDesk while I am transcribing. I am in the coding classes. That is why we say we are not finished with our modules. I work as an MT but I am studying coding. So while I study coding I use the TrekDesk. But I have not yet tried it with transcribing while on the clock at work. That would be quite hard but might be doable.
Good luck with your studies.
I now feel really stupid about stating that I would want a TrekDesk to transcribe because you cannot walk and step on the transcribing pedal at the same time. Sometimes, no a lot of times, I wonder if I am actually going to be able to complete this certification program. Then I say stuff like this and wonder how in the world I am still alive an raising a 10-month-old child . . . my goodness. I am so embarrased!!!!
Oh dont be embarrassed. I know of some MTs that use the keyboard like a footpedal so they do not use the footpedal at all. I think they use control-space to start and stop the dictation so dont feel stupid. You are doing a lot raising a 10-month old and learning to transcribe but isnt it a lovely profession. I have loved it for so long. I wish you much much luck in your classes and in your job searches and in your career.
Excellent, I think I may use the control-space method to start and stop the dictation once I become an MT because my daughter loves to play with the foot pedal at this point and I will eventually teach her not to do this . . . but until then I would rather not use the foot pedal. I think a stand up desk would be perfect, especially when I am babywearing her while she is asleep (which as I said before is really the only time I can transcribe at this point). We are transitioning now to a crib (eventually) so this will at some point be a non-issue (I hope). I would love it if I could find a way to exercise while transcribing! Multi-tasking is a great thing when it can be done!!! :D
Oh and I have a "love/hate" relationship with transcription at this time. I love it during the open-book tests and the practices, especially during the practices when I make all the corrections prior to looking at the key. However, the actual assessments give me a run for my money. I am a perfectionist and do not like the scores I have gotten on the last two assessments. So far I have not been able to achieve the 97% or higher goal. I have learned a lot so far and really do love the learning part of this certification program! :D
I thought for a few days I'd have to give up the standing desk idea because of pain in my ankles. Found out it wasn't the standing that was the problem, but an adverse reaction to the Alka-Seltzer Severe Sinus Congestion I was taking. It worked great on sinus and allergies, but was killing my joints and making it very hard to work coherently. It's been almost a week since I stopped taking it and the desk is no longer painful to use.