On the up and up

Brian Allen is a standup guy.

No kidding.

Allen, an art director, chooses to stand at his desk while working.

It started a couple years ago after Allen and his coworkers at Ybor City's ChappellRoberts heard about the health benefits of standing while working. Studies have shown the extra activity can add a couple years to a person's life span. Some medical researchers even go so far as to say sitting eight or more hours a day is as bad on one's health as smoking. And standing up is estimated to burn 8 pounds of fat in a year.

Allen decided he'd commit to standing up at work for one year.

That was 14 months ago.

“I'm still going strong,” he says.

While Allen wanted to realize the health benefits, he also had more immediate practical reasons. He felt bad after sitting all day, especially when he didn't go for a run in the evening.

He paid $8 for a small table at Ikea to set atop his desk. His computer sits on it.

In the beginning, his feet ached after a few hours. That lasted a couple weeks.

He learned to wear shoes that were comfortable for walking and he bought a gel pad to stand on.

He says his new work style is helping more than his health: His mind is sharper.

Plus, it has helped his creativity and inspired him to to free up his routine.

His coworkers are still talking about trying it — for part of the work day.

The firm plans to set up a standup workstation for those who feel the need to stretch beyond their normal routine.

In Bradenton, Neil Phillips, principal of Visible Men Academy, says he started standing while working after realizing he had trouble standing straight after sitting for hours.

He has worked from a waist-high desk for about 18 months and doesn't plan to give it up. With fewer back problems, he's able to exercise more rigorously than when he sat most of the day.

“I'm a believer,” Phillips says.

By the way, standing up while working at a desk isn't really as new as it might seem. Others did it decades ago, including writer Ernest Hemingway.