We just picked up a super-cheap adjustable height laptop desk to test out as a standing desk, Scott. Something like this. My husband is the product tester in chief, and so far, he's really happy with it. In the past, we've used inflatibile exercise balls (like this) as desk chairs, too. The challenge for me is that I'm fairly short, so if I get a ball big enough to reach my desk, my feet don't reach the floor (go ahead and laugh!) and I roll off the ball, but if I get a small enough ball, I can't reach my desk! Combining the exercise ball with a cheap adjustable desk looks like it's going to be a winning combination. The great thing with the ball is you're always making slight adjustments to your balance, so it keeps you awake and alert. Active sitting. My brother has a swapper chair that he swears by but spending that much money isn't practical for me. You can find them in 'back stores' if you want to try one out sometime. We've also tried Kneeling chairs in the past, and while we liked the idea, the particular chairs we bought (not the chair in the link) were poor quality and broke fairly quickly. The ultimate in standing desks would be a treadputer. My husband desperately wants to build one but our circumstances aren't conducive (it's hard to put a treadmill in the Mini). We look forward to working our way up to a treadputer though.

Chairobics?

It's easy to rock a few pushups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks in between scenes. There are a lot of exercises that can be done anywhere. Jogging also helps me feel better. And it often clears my brain-gunk out for better writing.

That's a great reminder! You take care of all our writing needs. :-)

My husband and I bought ourselves a recumbent exercise bike for Christmas. I was thinking my TableMate desk would adjust high enough to allow me to type and cycle at the same time, but it lacks just a few inches of clearance. So we need another desk, but in the meantime I do several miles a day at variable speeds and resistance settings, doing at least my reading as I go, when I would ordinarily have been sitting during my reading time. The advantage of the recumbent factor is I can use my lumbar support cushion if/when I need it. The dovetailing makes all the difference for me mentally, since I don't have to give myself over to either activity exclusively. I don't feel like I have to choose. Really looking forward to finding the right desk.

Shaula, you are an amazing resource on just about anything. Thanks for these!

I alternate running and biking, every other day, but with this wristband thingee, I've taken to looking for opportunities to walk and add steps. Plus, as I said, it's been helping me drag my ass to bed earlier than I normally would.

I like walking for various reasons. Outdoors, fresh air, bird song, sunlight, beautiful views, it clears my head no end. Plus I don't know if I'm just paranoid but I've noticed a lot of writers seem to get alzheimers, (walking is supposed to be good for preventing alzheimers). Maybe it's because writers are generally people who like to keep their minds active and people who do keep their minds active tend to live to a ripe old age? Or as I said maybe I'm just paranoid. I've also noticed people who are as sharp as a whip in their old age are often musicians. I have no research evidence to back this up, it's just a personal observation. I may be totally wide of the mark. I was watching a documentary on Terry Pratchett once and he seemingly goes for a long walk in open countryside everyday, unfortunately he is also suffering with alzheimers. But at every age, the lesson the oldies have imparted to me is you got to keep active to stay active. I've tried the exercise ball too Shaula but it just didn't work for me. I didn't realise you were so short. You paint a comical picture!

I run, and try to workout about an hour each day. I know people can become complacent on this area when you're so focused, and work becomes overwhelming - but I plan on staying healthy and working for a long time.

My husband made a DIY treadputer. I like it better than just standing. I vary the incline and speed but can't go much faster than level 2 and still type. But on frigid days like today, 2 degrees F, it's awesome to work and workout.

I wrote an entire book riding a stationery bicycle and using an AirDesk. www.airdesks.com I just pedaled at a moderate rate while I wrote. The hardest part was butt pain. Oh, that and the blank screen. But because I was on a tight deadline and writing six hours/day it saved me. I would get off every 90 minutes and have a cup of tea and sit on a real chair. I still use the Air Desk!

You're welcome, Scott. Thank YOU for the post. I got talking about it with my husband and when he got home from the shopping today, he had a brand new exercise ball for me. He likes his laptop desk so he's going to get me to test it with the ball tomorrow and if I like it he'll pick up a second one. And Traci, your treadputer sounds fantastic. @ TQA - for better or worse, I am the incarnation of physical comedy. The one time I tried a yoga class with "grown-up" sized exercise balls, I looked like a cross between Peter Sellers and Mr. Bean!