Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World

Talk about buying something you didn't think you needed. My trainer had the SUPPLE LEOPARD and got me watching Kelly's youtube videos.

I love how Kelly distinguishes flexibility from mobility because what we actually need is mobility in order to carry on in the world pain free and more importantly for me increase the quality of our sports endeavors.

I do not think a stand up desk is the answer to the worlds ills but i Do believe most of us sit WAY TOO MUCH and we need to mix it up every day. So, i am grateful for the energy and focus Mr. Starrett puts into all he gives us.

Very good book on how to overcome the detrimental effect of sitting on posture and spinal health. I liked his fundamental explanations how it all works. There are also good videos on his website. The corrective exercises he gives with small and large balls are very time consuming and require dedication. Some people would prefer Pilates and yoga exercises or foundation training to achieve similar goals.

Great book, interesting and easy to read with many advices and illustration on how to "cure" myself from bad habits of sitting to long. Since I started reading it I'm trying not to be "deskbound" but i'm definitely bound to this book.

My biggest problem with this book on Kindle is that it doesn't have a table of contents I can access, so I just have to go from page to page. It's extremely annoying and makes it so I can't skip around. The content is good though

I really love Kelly Starrett's books, and was super excited for this one to come out. I preordered it and read it in a week. Yes, much of the information is similar to what you can find in Ready to Run, one of his other books (HIGHLY recommend), but written from a different perspective and with supporting research to apply it to our desk bound lives.

I run a few times a week (2-3 miles each time) and attempt to work in strength training on a fairly regular basis, That being said, I also spend most of my days sitting at a desk at work. I knew it was not healthy, but this book was a real eye opener. Since reading this book, I have made the effort to move much more throughout the day - I run up and down the steps in our office building a few times a day (5 stories, takes no time at all), and will walk the loop around our complex while on conference calls. It really is amazing how much easier it is to focus once I get back to my desk.

There are many pictures throughout the book illustrating the correct/incorrect ways to move, sit, stand, etc. It's a well-written and organized book, and is a relatively easy read. Why did I knock it down a star? There is a very long section on setting up a sit/stand desk...which is great, but I wish more time had been devoted about other changes that can be made for those of us who can't build our own/install a sit/stand desk in our office.

Overall, it's a great read, and did not disappoint

I've known about "kstarr" for several years now and his mobilitywod website has great free and paid resources. This book however was very eye opening about the side effects of sitting and I recommend it to anyone with a desk job. Mobility is key not just for athletes.

We have this fantastic carbon-based machine but don’t know how to use it. Kelly makes emphasis on DO NOTs at office together with recommendations. More than that, this is a practical guide full of illustrated exercises meant to ignite a lifestyle change. Le us call it "Body’s user manual". Or HOW TO maintain a pain FREE body. For sure, lifelong homework for us desk-warriors. Standing for a better life. No magic though, master ourselves demand hard work.

This book is amazing. It emphasizes the importance of posture, which many people thank for granted. It has been proven in numeral research that when people hold a proper posture- take up space either vertically or horizontally, they feel good because their testosterone levels go up and their cortisol "stress hormone" goes down. This is a must read, knowledge is power. Many thanks to Dr. Kelly Starrett, Julie Starrett, and Glen Mendoza for sharing their knowledge.

This book is very clear about how to transition to standing more at a desk job. It also gives detailed instructions on how to correct many issues related to the effects of sitting at work for years. I highly recommend it.

Very practical guide to improving posture and performing basic maintenance on your own body. I have saved hundreds of dollars on orthopedic massage since I bought this book. I only gave it four stars because it could have used a bit of editing. There is almost too much information for the layperson.

A distinctive component to Kelly's writing is a solutions based approach while creating an understanding of a situation. Deskbound contains effective and tangible guidelines to take action in making good position a habit, and creating new habits for successful outcomes. This understanding aids implementing and incorporating blueprints to resolve roadblocks to performance, health, and well being.

Exercise is not enough. Creating a movement rich work space is a beginning. Small daily improvements are the key to massive long term results. It is acknowledged that standing isn't an option for everyone in all situations. Optimizing your posture and mechanics in a seated position is possible. Consistent body maintenance principles remain important.

Reading the entire book is important to understand the systems approach and fitting each piece of the puzzle together. It is one thing to hear about it and another to understand and implement solutions. Revisit blueprints, and guidelines to level up movement and mobility practices.

Although there was 1-2 chapters of new material related to chronic sitting and how to manage that strain on the body. I found the book highly repetitive and simplistic in terms of information Kelly has already published. I think a few chapters might simply be copies from his original book, and the foam rolling suggestions are either in that book, or his youtube channel, point being- we know how to foam roll, don't​ charge me to read about what you put out for free years ago.

The quality of the book and print is exceptional however, it is a well made and highly visual book. If you are new to Kelly, then this is a great purchase, if you are familiar with him, look elsewhere for a summary

Just enough details and good programs for anyone to start taking care of their body. Everything is explained in such way that you don't need to be a doctor or professional trainer to understand the content.

Anatomically modern humans have been on this earth some 200 thousand years. The lifestyles we have adopted in the past half century that see us chair (or couch) bound for the better part of our waking hours is not only unprecedented, but completely incompatible with our biological evolution. As a holistic health counselor with certifications in a wide range of movement disciplines, I see people in their 20s and 30s with neck, back, shoulder, and spinal issues more serious than people decades older would have experienced previously. The quote from Dr. James Levine in the introduction, "We are sitting ourselves to death" is no exaggeration, and unfortunately it is a slow and painful death, as dysfunction piles on top of dysfunction, until it becomes disability. It's estimated Americans spend fifty billion dollars a year on medical costs just for back pain alone.

For many people who are conscious of the problems of long-term sitting, the solution may be to buy a gym membership and somehow expect that a few days of exercise a week will counteract the effects of long-term sitting. Unfortunately, believe it or not, that often makes people worse. Once your spine and pelvis are out of alignment, and key muscles such as the glutes and hamstrings are fried from excessive sitting, gym workouts often only exacerbate the problem. What is needed isn't exercise for the sake of exercise, but protocols to restore normal movement patterns. Think of it this way – if the wheels of your car are out of alignment, you don't improve the problem by driving your car more. You only make it worse.

In "Deskbound" the author provides techniques, movement principles, and very importantly, breathing protocols to try and correct the issues created by long-term sitting. This is certainly not the first book on the problems of lengthy sitting, but the author brings his own unique and professional perspective to the problem, and how to deal with the inevitable consequences of sitting too long. The only problem for me, and the reason I only give it four stars, is that it is ironically too comprehensive. I also own Kelly Starrett's "The Supple Leopard," which I enjoy, but suffers from the same issue as well. As someone who has studied extensively and coaches people in movement, I know how to pick and choose what is appropriate and appreciate the comprehensiveness. However, for the "average" person who just wants a simple protocol that can be done quickly to remedy the damage from sitting, it may be hard to decide what to choose among the many exercises he outlines for all the parts of the body. In that case, one might be better served by something such as Foundation Training, which accomplishes a similar goal, but has a few key movements that can be done in just a few minutes a day. Still, a worthwhile reference.

The problem with these type of books created from click bait media reports like:"SITTING IS THE NEW SMOKING"! is the sensational nature of headlines that lead to gurus saving the world from sitting. The study oft cited stated that people who sit the most (are most sedentary) have the most health problems- agreed. People who sit a lot at work don't have to have any chronic pain if they move more, stretch and are mindful. Work posture should be alternated between sitting and standing and frequent movement is recommended, but one off lines like ..."you cannot undue the damage from sitting no matter how much you exercise".... are overly dramatic and simply not true. If this were the case we would not see any fit and healthy office workers anywhere on earth including marathoners. Excessive total sitting before during and after work is rightly pointed out, but did not our role models in the intro Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson ye of the standing desks, not own chairs ? Did Socrates walk and lecture for 8-9 hours at a clip ? Maybe they only walked, stood and lied down and never sat. Ditching your chair for a standing desk has its own problems as you are still stationary, excessive blood pools in the lower extremities, and is implicated in other problems. Critical thinking is a lost art. You are similarly not designed to stand in place all day which leads to back and hip pain. A mix between the two is best, hence the sit stand desk. The relationship of the spine to sitting posture is well thought out.

I borrowed the book from the library and found it so impressively well-written and useful that I am compelled to buy it.
This is not a book one can scan through and let go. This is a respectable reference book which has to be read incrementally and the information digested in bite-sized chunks. I have been reading a bit of it every day for the past 2 weeks and implementing some of the lifestyle changes and doing mobility exercises suggested in the book, and I feel less achy.

Please do not but the Kindle version, but invest in the print version - the figures in the book, which are a significant part of the book do not show up well on a Kindle.

This is a great book. As a fitness professional, I have been recommending this book to many around me. It provides people with some information as to why sitting is detrimental, from not just a health perspective, but more so from an overall movement and quality of life perspective. The authors also provide insight as to better ways to sit when you have to sit, as well as how to mobilize the soft tissue that is affected.

His methods are highly effective. I have seen the results on myself and MANY others. That being said, the information he lays out will only make a difference in your life is you utilize it. It does mean that you will need to change a few things in your life, but if you do not value your movement and quality of life at that level, then this book is not for you. Exercise programs and yoga/pilates can be a piece of the puzzle, but they will not solve the issues alone. He highlights this and transforms it into a lifestlye. Great book.

This book is so helpful! The prescription pages are my favorite- they give you all kinds of mobility stretches and exercises to help you with what ever problem area you have. Love love love this book! I recommend this book highly!