I just went to my favorite local furniture shop, Two Jakes, because I’ve been looking for the past few months for a standing desk (or something that can function as a standing desk). I found this old industrial cart that can also double as a kitchen cart. It makes sense to me that sitting for over 8 hours a day on a computer must be bad for you. And then I read this article recently that stated:

New research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests that our definition of “sedentary” needs an update. Until now, Elik said, “sedentary behavior” has been misleadingly used as a synonym for not exercising. Elik believes the term “sedentary” should be reserved for muscular inactivity (such as sitting passively) as opposed to the absence of exercise.

And then this article:

Sitting is one of the most passive things you can do. You burn more energy by chewing gum or fidgeting than you do sitting still in a chair. Compared to sitting, standing in one place is hard work. To stand, you have to tense your leg muscles, and engage the muscles of your back and shoulders; while standing, you often shift from leg to leg. All of this burns energy.

For many people, weight gain is a matter of slow creep — two pounds this year, three pounds next year. You can gain this much if, each day, you eat just 30 calories more than you burn. Thirty calories is hardly anything — it’s a couple of mouthfuls of banana, or a few potato chips. Thus, a little more time on your feet today and tomorrow can easily make the difference between remaining lean and getting fat.