{"id":407,"date":"2020-07-16T13:45:43","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T17:45:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/myuprightlife.com\/?p=407"},"modified":"2021-04-13T16:15:11","modified_gmt":"2021-04-13T20:15:11","slug":"how-to-work-lying-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myuprightlife.com\/index.php\/2020\/07\/16\/how-to-work-lying-down\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Work Lying Down"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My best purchase of 2020 has been my treadmill desk<\/a>. I now have a great standing desk which helps me gets my walks in, and keeps me sane when I\u2019m stuck indoors. I\u2019m halfway to achieving a perfect work setup, but I still need to address the horizontal component.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because I can\u2019t stand all day (or shouldn\u2019t<\/a>), I lie down to do much of my computer work. And that\u2019s where I run into problems. I\u2019ve been having neck pain that radiates down to my arms, both sides of my forearms hurt, and lately my wrists have been acting up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I doubted these pains had popped up for no reason, so I decided to spend some time researching the optimal reclining work setup. I learned that I\u2019ve been violating just about every ergonomic best practice there is, so my pain is no surprise. But I also found that solutions do exist, and I have some ideas for how to improve my setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m sharing this knowledge in the form of a Q&A, which is really just me talking to myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chairs suck. Are there any desks that will let me lie down?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes! But they aren\u2019t necessarily cheap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least two companies, Ergoquest<\/a> and Altwork<\/a>, specialize in reclining workstations. Both companies target skilled, technical workers, like engineers and designers. Ergoquest\u2019s radiology workstation in particular looks like it belongs on the space shuttle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prices range from $2,700 to $16,000 for a full workstation. Ergoquest also offers a range of workstations that can fit around a bed or recliner, so if you already have a comfortable place to lie down, you can get by for about $2,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was most impressed by Ergoquest\u2019s range and potential for customization, but I liked Altwork\u2019s relatable origin story. Their reclining chairs were conceived after one of the founding partners, John Speicher, sustained a back injury that left him unable to sit comfortably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
Ergoquest lets you pretend you’re piloting the space shuttle.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are, of course, cheaper options that don\u2019t even pretend to be ergonomic. Like this As Seen on TV Air Space Desk<\/a>, or this Laptop Bed Tray Table<\/a>. If you have a laptop and only need to be able to work for a few hours at a time, this might be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Ideal Posture for Using a Computer While Lying Down?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ah, here\u2019s where it gets tricky. I admit that my best answer is an educated guess, as I haven\u2019t been able to find any credible guidelines. I\u2019d say the ideal posture is one where:<\/p>\n\n\n\n