About
The Story of Growing Two Inches
I grew two inches by getting a new desk.
I didn’t really grow but my posture and back muscles improved and the result is my wife can wear heels now without being that inch taller than me.I listed 5’11” back in high school and yet when I got to the doctor I measured at 5’9”.
That can’t be right, I thought. Did I shrink?
It was my desk set up that caused me to shrink. Sounds crazy but think about it. 8 billion years of evolution was not meant to lead to a majority of one’s day spent hunched over at a desk working on a computer. Over the years, my spine around my neck slowly started to compress and lean more and more forward. My shoulders began to round forward because my muscles were over compensating for the ones in my lower back.
My girlfriend at the time, now my wife, got me an adjustable standing desk for my birthday one year. I needed a new desk as my old chunky one was not a fit for today’s ergonomic to the max lifestyle and work force. You can set these desks to certain heights and I tested a few out till I found the right level.
The first time I tried it out I only lasted 20 minutes standing and working. I was so ashamed - my mammoth hunting ancestors are looking down in disappointment. I remember when I was younger and working retail I would have to stand for 8 hour shifts 5 days a week. How my body had changed. Needing to get back to my younger self I stuck to the standing desk by working just a few hours a day standing.
My recommendation. Do your standing in the morning when you start your shift. Sounds like too much for the morning but trust me, most people don’t get the second wind of afternoon energy like they like to think they do. Just see how long you last in the morning and pat yourself on the back. You’ll gradually stand longer and longer.
I guess I wasn’t really sure what to expect given that it was just a new desk and trend. Afterall, I was really just pushing myself to stand longer out of self embarrassment. But I noticed my lower back first. Turns out, sitting hunched over really makes your lower back weak and lazy over time. Standing forced me to have to activate my lower back. Painful at first but my strength slowly returned.
Did I grow taller from my lower back? No. Well sort of.
Since my lower back became activated and regained it’s place in my bodily function team, my over exhausted shoulders could finally relax. Easing back, the compression in my back could release. At first I thought it was just the illusion of being taller, which it is, just instead of curving like a bendy-straw I’m more straight like a pencil. (For swifter improvement, I recommend incorporating low weight, high-repetition lat pull down and single arm cable rows.
I wasn’t always looking down anymore. Yes, I was still a significant part of the day still, but my muscles were adjusting and getting stronger those few hours a day I wasn’t. I didn’t notice it much at first until my wife made a comment that I wasn’t looking at the ground as much. Didn’t really cross my mind. What happened was those few hours a day working the muscles in my neck that improvement was applied to other parts of my life than just my time at the desk.
At this point, I’ve at least stretched back up to 5’10”. Here we go.
I added an additional layer. I’m not sure about you, but the company I work for, like most, gave me a laptop to work off from. Sit at your desk sitting down at the properly adjusted height and you might notice your laptop hangs a little low. Causing your neck to tilt forward.
Now, I am no trailblazer. I just observe the people around and learn from what I see. My company is in a shared office work space that has hundreds of members working independently. I thought one of the most preppiest and pretentious-signaling additions was the laptop stand. I was so wrong. Clearly there was a real reason to have slug the stand around. Essentially, these stands ensure that the laptop screen is at your eye level. This ensures that you are not dipping your chin but also activating the correct muscles. Again, the usefulness of these activated muscles is transferable to all facets of everyday life.
18 months later and I’m 5’11” again. I really wish I did a before and after photo to show-off to everyone. Nonetheless, I was inspired enough to share my journey with others on how a proper ergonomic set-up and standing desk helped me regain my true, stretched out height. Because let’s face it, two inches really does matter. Thanks to this effort, my wife got to marry a better version of myself and I got to let my wife wear heels without making her feel giant. It’s the little things that can make a big difference.
I hope my journey for better posture can help others with theirs!I grew two inches by getting a new desk.
I didn’t really grow but my posture and back muscles improved and the result is my wife can wear heels now without being that inch taller than me.I listed 5’11” back in high school and yet when I got to the doctor I measured at 5’9”.
That can’t be right, I thought. Did I shrink?
It was my desk set up that caused me to shrink. Sounds crazy but think about it. 8 billion years of evolution was not meant to lead to a majority of one’s day spent hunched over at a desk working on a computer. Over the years, my spine around my neck slowly started to compress and lean more and more forward. My shoulders began to round forward because my muscles were over compensating for the ones in my lower back.
My girlfriend at the time, now my wife, got me an adjustable standing desk for my birthday one year. I needed a new desk as my old chunky one was not a fit for today’s ergonomic to the max lifestyle and work force. You can set these desks to certain heights and I tested a few out till I found the right level.
The first time I tried it out I only lasted 20 minutes standing and working. I was so ashamed - my mammoth hunting ancestors are looking down in disappointment. I remember when I was younger and working retail I would have to stand for 8 hour shifts 5 days a week. How my body had changed. Needing to get back to my younger self I stuck to the standing desk by working just a few hours a day standing.
My recommendation. Do your standing in the morning when you start your shift. Sounds like too much for the morning but trust me, most people don’t get the second wind of afternoon energy like they like to think they do. Just see how long you last in the morning and pat yourself on the back. You’ll gradually stand longer and longer.
I guess I wasn’t really sure what to expect given that it was just a new desk and trend. Afterall, I was really just pushing myself to stand longer out of self embarrassment. But I noticed my lower back first. Turns out, sitting hunched over really makes your lower back weak and lazy over time. Standing forced me to have to activate my lower back. Painful at first but my strength slowly returned.
Did I grow taller from my lower back? No. Well sort of.
Since my lower back became activated and regained it’s place in my bodily function team, my over exhausted shoulders could finally relax. Easing back, the compression in my back could release. At first I thought it was just the illusion of being taller, which it is, just instead of curving like a bendy-straw I’m more straight like a pencil. (For swifter improvement, I recommend incorporating low weight, high-repetition lat pull down and single arm cable rows.
I wasn’t always looking down anymore. Yes, I was still a significant part of the day still, but my muscles were adjusting and getting stronger those few hours a day I wasn’t. I didn’t notice it much at first until my wife made a comment that I wasn’t looking at the ground as much. Didn’t really cross my mind. What happened was those few hours a day working the muscles in my neck that improvement was applied to other parts of my life than just my time at the desk.
At this point, I’ve at least stretched back up to 5’10”. Here we go.
I added an additional layer. I’m not sure about you, but the company I work for, like most, gave me a laptop to work off from. Sit at your desk sitting down at the properly adjusted height and you might notice your laptop hangs a little low. Causing your neck to tilt forward.
Now, I am no trailblazer. I just observe the people around and learn from what I see. My company is in a shared office work space that has hundreds of members working independently. I thought one of the most preppiest and pretentious-signaling additions was the laptop stand. I was so wrong. Clearly there was a real reason to have slug the stand around. Essentially, these stands ensure that the laptop screen is at your eye level. This ensures that you are not dipping your chin but also activating the correct muscles. Again, the usefulness of these activated muscles is transferable to all facets of everyday life.
18 months later and I’m 5’11” again. I really wish I did a before and after photo to show-off to everyone. Nonetheless, I was inspired enough to share my journey with others on how a proper ergonomic set-up and standing desk helped me regain my true, stretched out height. Because let’s face it, two inches really does matter. Thanks to this effort, my wife got to marry a better version of myself and I got to let my wife wear heels without making her feel giant. It’s the little things that can make a big difference.
I hope my journey for better posture can help others with theirs!