Episode Details

Author’s note: This ‘Ultimate Guide’ is a collection of over a decade of research, experimentation, and many of my past articles on the topic of living a less sedentary lifestyle. This guide is also based on many conversations with the world’s foremost experts on proper ergonomics, the dangers of being sedentary, and the benefits of more consistent movement throughout the day. There’s A LOT of information in this guide to help you build a healthy workstation and move more during your day.

If you’d prefer to have this guide as a PDF you can reference for later use, Click here to download this ‘Ultimate Guide’ as a PDF.

Working a very sedentary career as a Hollywood film & tv editor, I have spent the last two decades figuring out how to stay active all day long despite living in front of a computer (in the dark) .

Fifteen years ago when I traded in my super-fancy Herman Miller Aeron chair for a $20 exercise ball as my primary desk chair, people laughed at me.

Ten years ago when I invested $3000 in a motorized height-adjustable workstation for my home office, people thought I was crazy.

And five years ago when I moved in a desk treadmill, a doorway pull-up bar, and kettlebells to my office at Empire, people snickered thinking I had lost my mind.

Luckily a lot has changed in the last five years.

But a lot hasn’t changed as well.

While it’s true that people are becoming much more conscious about the fact that sitting is slowly killing us, they are still often seeking the wrong solutions.

The most common question I’m still asked to this day is:

“I want to invest in the best ergonomic office chair on the market for the sake of my health. What should I buy?”

This question is encouraging because it means people are (finally) recognizing that you can have a successful career because you invest in your health, not despite prioritizing your health ahead of your career.

But it’s also frustrating because it’s completely the WRONG question to ask.

If you do a search via Dr. Google for the “healthiest office chairs,” the #1 option (if budget is no object) is the Herman Miller ‘Embody’ Chair.

And it costs just under $1500.

Even more extreme, for those with ample funds to spend (who aren’t terrified of the film WALL-E becoming our reality), there is even a workstation that allows you to lie down while you work...if you’re willing to drop over $8500.

Clearly if I spent over $3k on a motorized standing desk a decade ago I have no problem investing in technology that will make my work environment healthier and more ergonomic