By Chas Wagner

You know the saying “monkey see, monkey do.” Well, here at the RunKeeper offices, we’ve made a slight modification to that saying with “Monkey see, monkey STAND.”

That’s right, the standing desk phenomenon is alive and well here at 60 Canal Street. In fact, 18 of our 37 full-time employees have went with some sort of standing arrangement. Not quite mainstream, but definitely past early adopter, hipster territory. Perhaps main-ster or hip-stream?

If you’ve been thinking about making the standing desk switch or just want to learn the lingo, we thought it’d be neat to give you the “rundown” on standing desk culture at RunKeeper:

Why Standing is Awesome according to Standers?

It’s great for collaboration. Face it, when you’re sitting, you’re really comfy and in your own little world. You hunker down, maybe even getting in the zone after cranking through all your Runkeeper FitnessReports, but, sadly, you’re not looking to connect with others. Standing signals to others, “Let’s chat. Let’s brainstorm. Let’s be human, and not zombies!”

Your cube farm confidants at other companies will be super jealous. Get rid of that trapped feeling. Break free of the cube chains my sedentary friends, straighten thy legs and stand for all to see.

You’re more efficient when standing. Since we’re talking work and the office, productivity is definitely a priority. When sitting, it’s really easy to go down that browsing rabbit hole and forget where that last hour of work went. Twitter anyone? Standing, on the other hand, demands focus…and some really strong legs.

Oh yeah, it’s kind of good for your health. Even the big boys say so—Inc., New York Times and Mashable. Besides, who would want to look like this guy? He hasn’t even finished his morning coffee yet!

Why Standing isn’t so Awesome according to Standers?

Afternoon Fatigue. Even if you’re a runner (which most of us are!), being on your feet all day long takes a toll. At least in the early stages of standing. Plus, it definitely impacts your shoe decision, especially for women. Heels and standing don’t play nice, according to Rebecca O’Dette.

People are more willing to chat with a stander. More collaboration means more conversations with passerbys. This can lead to more distractions and a hard time focusing. Luckily, we now have a Quiet Room. I’d definitely say more standers frequent this room than sitters. Whether it’s to rest their feet or get away from all the distractions, it’s too early to tell.

Sometimes you want to slouch. Even if you’re the biggest health nut, there’s nothing like an amazing chair slouch. Like getting at least 135 degrees back in the chair, popping on a good YouTube video and taking off your standing hero armor.

Why Sitting is Awesome according to Sitters?

It’s easier to get away with browsing Facebook. According to Max Freiert, stand-nerds create a tremendous, natural cubicle.

Better focus. You’re expanding more energy standing up, which is probably taking away from your mental energy. What’s more, Saul Jacobowitz brings up a good point with, “pretty sure there are studies that productivity drops for people at standing desks, but that doesn’t take into consideration long-term health problems.”

Royalty knows how to get their sit on.

Things to Consider when Getting Started with a Standing Desk

Just do it. Similar to not running a marathon your first time out the door, don’t expect to stand all 8 hours those first few days. In your first day, maybe stand for a simple 15 minutes after that mammoth Chipotle lunch. The burrito will go from feeling like a bowling ball to, let’s say, a baseball. As you became a trained stand-itician, you might even get to golf ball stage.

A good mat is a stand-saver. Your feet will hurt. Don’t be silly and go at it alone. Invest in a good anti-fatigue mat to save those foot aches for the trails!

Be resourceful. Official standing desks are ridiculously expensive. That said, it’s highly unlikely your company is going to drop that kind of money until they see the benefits. There’s many ways to have a standing arrangement without having a real standing desk. So, grab a pile of boxes, paint cans, books, printer paper or file cabinets, like I did for nearly 3 months. Once standing catches on with others, your company will be more willing to invest in a more official set-up. Or, if you’re a startup like us, they’ll be up for investing in a more economical set-up, like an IKEA TV Stand and keyboard tray. A whopping, wait for it, $29.99. Score one for standing :)

(Way too many cardboard boxes for my previous set-up!!)

So, there you have it. Standing 101. Civil War hasn’t erupted just yet between sitters and standers, but as hardcore sitter Larry McShefferey puts it, “my chair will definitely be used as the primary weapon.” 

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the standing desk revolution. Have you tried it? Does it work? If you haven’t, what’s holding you back? Let us know in the comments below and send over pics of your standing, sitting or cube set-up to community@runkeeper.com.

  Chas is a Community Manager at RunKeeper

Name: Stephanie Empson
Location: Bellingham, WA
Starting/Current/Goal Weight: 277 pounds/220 pounds/140 pounds
Starting/Current A1C (3-month blood sugar avg): 8.5/5.3
Miles Tracked: 700
Calories Burned: 102,000+
Mission: To gain a healthier, more fit lifestyle.

I have had weight problems most of my life, but my latest journey started in April 8th 2012. It was a Friday and my boyfriend and I had plans to go to the drive-in, about an hour and a half away from our home.  I had not felt all that good for most of the day, but still wanted to go to the movies. So I never said anything to him about not feeling good.  I know I know—not a smart thing to do…

Let me give you a little background on me: I am an ex fire and rescue volunteer, I lost my job in 2009; I went to college for two years (really packed on the weight) and still had not found employment. I am also currently a CPR/First-Aid trainer, so you would think I would have made a better choice that day, but I didn’t.

My symptoms that day felt like they could be a cardiac event, so I monitored my pulse and took it easy most of the day. I had strange sensations in my chest and a feeling that my heart kept stopping and starting.

We watched two of the three movies, ate popcorn, hotdogs and other junk food and decided to head home.  As we got closer, I decided to go to emergency room.  

Upon arrival at the ER I was rushed to a room and was hooked up to various monitors.  Many hours later we were told it was not a cardiac event (much to our relief), but they asked if I knew that I was a diabetic, and I said no. My blood sugar was 360+ and my A1C (a three-month average of my blood sugars) was 8.5. A good reading is under 6.

The entire event scared me straight, so to speak. I started monitoring my foods and I got off my butt and started moving. My starting weight for this journey was 277 pounds.

I found two programs that I use without fail: RunKeeper to monitor my exercise and MyFitnessPal to monitor my eating. I had seen friends post their exercise on Facebook using RunKeeper and had used it some since January 2012, by some I mean VERY little.

I had recorded a whole 9.7 miles in January, 10.3 in February, and March took a total dive to a whopping 2 miles. Then there was the little trip to the ER and I ended April with 15.5 miles of walking.  In May, I got moving and walked 50 miles, and in June I had a total of 57.9 miles, between a little elliptical, cycling, and mostly walking.

At my three-month checkup in July, my A1C was down to 6.5 and I was down 25 pounds. (YES!!! all my hard work is paying off)

I continued to crank up the miles, and in September alone, I logged 124.9 miles. WOW!!!

That month I had my six-month check and my A1C is down to 5.4. (SWEET, this is working!!!) By this point, I had lost a total of 46 pounds.  My doctor took me off the blood pressure meds—success! Another three months and many more miles flew by, and on New Year’s Eve I had my nine-month check. My A1C is down to 5.3, and I am ecstatic that my hard work has totally paid off! I am down 57 pounds and can now ditch my diabetic medication.

So far, I have traveled 700 miles, burned more than 102,000 calories, and lost 57 pounds. I try to keep it to 1400 calories a day and try REALLY hard not to eat back calories I have burned during exercise, which RunKeeper and MyFitnessPal help me keep track of. Between these two programs I have improved my health, gotten in shape, lost weight and dropped five pant sizes. My current weight is 220 pounds. Who would have thought?

It is a new year and I still have a ways to go, and I am taking RunKeeper with me to the end and beyond.

Thank you for reading my journey.

Here’s an eclectic mix of health- and running-related headlines that we came across this week.  

• Work or exercise—which do you choose? This author writes that she picks both, and blocks out a good chunk of her day for walking or hiking meetings. 

• Former Olympian and current sports commentator Summer Sanders is regularly dishing out some running inspiration over on ESPN.com. In her latest post, she breaks down running nutrition into some very simple, common sense principles. Check ‘em out! 

• On the mobile health tracking front, a company called Glooko has brought its diabetes-monitoring app to the U.S. 

• In weird running gear news, this chain-mail footwear is said to feel like barefoot running without the pain, and improves your posture. Thoughts? Will they be replacing your regular shoes any time soon? 

• And if more traditional apparel is your thing, here are some tips on how to bundle up to survive those winter runs. 

We know, we know, it’s not even Christmas yet, and we’re already seeing talk of New Year’s resolutions everywhere. If you can’t be them, join them, right? 

We’ve rounded up a list of articles on the subject that we thought were helpful, thought-provoking, or just plain funny. We especially like funny when it comes to this subject, because it seems to be a touchy one for all!  

Resolve to make a resolution you’ll actually enjoy completing. Physician Yoni Freedhoff attributes the high failure rate of New Year’s Resolutions to the fact that most people make ones they don’t actually like. (U.S. News & World Report)

Take a full month to set a realistic plan for acheiving your resolution before daring to start on it, says the personal trainer Michelle Bridges. (Stuff.co.NZ)

Get your phone on board. For those looking for a little help from their phone, The Street rounds up apps from publishers like Jillian Michaels and Evernote. (TheStreet.com)

“Exercise once a year, but talk about it all year.” That’s just one of the hilarious resolutions actress Megan Mullally has committed to. (InStyle)

Last year, this UK gal resolved to run a marathon for a charity close to her heart. ”Every new year I would make resolutions to stop eating chocolate and junk food or lose weight so I decided to change my approach and pledge to try doing something meaningful. It’s turned out to be the only resolution I’ve ever kept.” (This Is Sussex)

And for a good laugh, here’s a fun one comparing celebrating the New Year’s to the Mayan Apocalypse that’s supposedly impending. (ThoughtCatalog.com)

The holidays may not be the most convenient time to decide to run your first ever marathon, but that doesn’t mean they have to be a total wash as far as fitness goes. We’ve teamed up with Greatist to brainstorm ways you can get some good exercise in during this chaotic season. 

1. On the road
Travel home to see family this season takes up precious time in your schedule that would normally go to workouts. But Elizabeth Jarrard, our nutrition expert from yesterday, suggests making the most of long drives.

“Do as many steps as you can. Even if you can’t in get full workout, get out and take some steps around the parking lot when you pull over at a rest stop, “ she says. 

2. The workday
To that end, use the time at your desk to get in a quick workout during the day. Not sure where to start on that one? Our partner app FitBolt offers a convenient browser plug-in that pops up every 30-minutes or so with quick but effective exercises like jumping jacks, planks, and stretches. (Extra bonus: those bursts will count toward your activity total if you sync your FitBolt account to RunKeeper, so you can better keep up with other friends in your leaderboard. 

Sure planks may look awkward at the office, but your core will thank you. Better yet, get your co-workers on board so you’re making fools out of yourselves together.

3. Mix it up
Road races always provide a fun adrenaline boost, and many races this time of year have the added incentive of festive costumes and fanfare. Check out the RunKeeper Races feature to search for ones nearby, and sign up for one with a friend or the family you have in town. Or create your own virtual race using First One There Wins.

Changing up your routine always makes for great motivation, and travel is one of the best times to do that. Check out our library of routes to scope some of the best spots in your travel destination. You’d much rather do that than hit your hometown bar, right?

4. Remind yourself
Planning ahead is almost a must if you want to stick to any sort of workout plan. Right when you’re enjoying the high of a finished workout, schedule your next exercise session using RunKeeper’s in-app workout reminders.

There are other more low-tech ways to get the idea of working out in your face. One RunKeeper user says she lays out her running stuff the night before so it’s “guilting” her all morning.

5. Extra motivation
So you really, really want to work out this month, but you’re not so sure of your own self-control? Put some money on it. Apps like GymPact and Run or Else enable you to pledge that you will work out a certain amount each week, and pay up if you don’t. You’d rather spend that dough on presents anyway, right?

Exercise is just one part of the puzzle to staying fit though, so check out yesterday’s holiday healthy eating tips. 

What do you to stay fit during a busy season like this? We’d love to get your best practices! 

‘Tis the season to be jolly (you know how the song goes). But a calendar chock full of holiday celebrations means a lot less time to stick to healthy routines and lots more temptation to load up on junk food. So what’s one to do to stay in shape? We enlisted registered dietitian Elizabeth Jarrard, part of the expert network at Greatist, to share some of her top tips on how to eat throughout this party-heavy, travel-laden season.

1. Don’t skip any meals
“Around a Christmas party, there’s a temptation to skip breakfast and quote-unquote skip calories,” Elizabeth notes.  “That sets you up for failure; you walk into the room starving and want to eat everything in site.”

Instead, be sure to eat healthy meals throughout the day, she suggests. “Each of those meals should be a blend of protein and healthy fats with carbohydrates—small satiating meals throughout the day so you don’t arrive at a party starving,” says Elizabeth.

2. Hydrate
Though you may not be as thirsty as you are during the sweltering summer heat, water is a great aid in healthy eating, Elizabeth says. “Hydrating is super important because it can help to regulate the metabolism,” she explains.

It’s also your best friend when drinking alcohol at those soirees.  “Having a glass of water in between every drink is going to help the hangover. Around the holidays it’s especially hard to remember that,” she says.

3. Let someone else do the work for you
“Now that it’s dark, there’s a lot less motivation to run to the grocery store to get meals you need. It’s a lot easier to order takeout when it’s nasty out and not really prioritize your health,” Elizabeth says. Amen, sister.

Grocery shopping with this in mind is key, she says. “Trader Joes and Whole Foods are great because they already have things cut up. For some people, just the act of cutting a vegetable is too annoying, so if you can have someone else do the work for you, it makes it way easier.”

4. Fill up with those veggies
Speaking of vegetables, “at holiday parties, I encourage people to try to get one-third to one-half of their plate full of vegetables, and let the heavier things take up the other half,” Elizabeth says. “Vegetables will help to fill you up before they fill you out. That’s my favorite quote.”

5. All things in moderation
“I don’t believe in depravation or totally cutting something out,” Elizabeth says. “If you have the urge to do it, that thing becomes a lot easier to eat once you’ve had a couple drinks.”

6. Eggnog=total bomb
If you’re up to the challenge, though, Elizabeth does have some ideas on what’s worth saying no to. “If I had to pick something you should avoid, it’s things like eggnog. That’s a total bomb.”

7. Meals on the road
“I definitely recommend bringing trail mix or bars that you really like. I like Larabar and KIND bars,” Elizabeth suggests. “They’re pretty minimally processed, and have good protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. It’s about planning ahead and having snacks you can easily eat on the road: carrots and hummus, whole wheat crackers, Laughing Cow cheese or string cheese.”

For those that aren’t quite so prepared, she suggests heading to the Starbucks at the airport or rest stop. “They’re always going to have a Greek yogurt parfait and fruit and nuts for breakfast. If you eat meat, their eggs and English muffin things are pretty reasonable for a fast food item.”

8. Forgive yourself
Let’s say you don’t exactly stick to all, or any of these tips. Don’t punish yourself, Elizabeth advises. “The holiday season is difficult for a lot of people, it’s important that none of us beat ourselves up about it,” she says. “If you feel guilty, skipping meals the next day is not going to help anyone get better. Forgiveness is key in the holiday season, in many ways.”

9. Set realistic expectations for the New Year
“Once you’re done with that big New Year’s Eve celebration, it’s about going back to the fundamentals: smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, lean proteins, and getting back into fruits and vegetables and complex carbs,” Elizabeth advises.

We’re all about setting healthy, attainable goals for the New Year, so stay tuned for much more to come on this subject! And we’ll be back tomorrow with some fitness tips, as part two of this healthy holiday guide.

Author, entrepreneur, and hacker extraordinaire Tim Ferriss has taken his obsession for optimizing just about everything in life to a new daunting area: the kitchen. Perfect timing for those of us celebrating Thanksgiving, right?  His new book The 4-Hour Chef is about mastering cooking and much of life beyond it. 

Read below for a Q&A with Ferriss himself. 

And not only do we have some great insights from Ferriss, we have 20 books to give away to the RunKeeper community!

Here’s how to win:

RunKeeper: What inspired you to tackle the subject of cooking for your latest book? How does it play off insights you share in your two previous titles?

Tim Ferriss: I was a culinary idiot my whole life, which was part of the reason I wanted to tackle cooking—it was something I was terrible at. Both my previous books came from shared problems with uncommon solutions. Too much email, too much fat, not enough time to do anything about it. With cooking, everyone has the desire to be good at it but their enthusiasm seems to hit a brick wall, myself included. I set out to figure out how to get over it.

RK: How do you go from not even liking cooking to mastering it? How can this be applied to other things, like fitness?

TF: As they say in one of my favorite books, “bird by bird.” First I went through and studied all I could about the subject, not just from books but from the masters. What I realized was that there were all sorts of artificial barriers. Cooking was made to be hard, instead of creative. Then I realized that cooking wasn’t made to be done in a vacuum. It’s not about ingredients, it’s a way of living. That’s what inspired me to pursue some of the more enjoyable chapters to write in the WILD section—which are about getting in touch with the world around you.

RK: You’ve made a name for yourself in lifestyle hacking—what are some cooking hacks we can expect to see in this book?

How to cook Michelin 2 star sea bass in your bathroom sink. How to go from burning scrambled eggs to cooking Osso Buco. Everything from how to taste to how to cut to how to enjoy the time you spend in the kitchen.

RK: Using technology in a hyper-efficient and breakthrough way played a big role in The 4-Hour Work Week. What part does tech play in your exploration of cooking and eating?

TF: If you’re not using the right tools, you’re going to be expending unnecessary effort. I spent a lot of time testing and comparing and trying all the tools out there. I’m not a fan of tech for tech’s sake so often times I find that the low tech tools are the best (for instance, how to have a clam back using a garbage can) but what I look for are the tools that give you a competitive advantage. In the book I don’t just say what you need to do but also what gear makes it the easiest to do.

RK: Your books have been all about pushing the envelope and intense experimentation. Let’s say someone isn’t interested in, say, cooking a sea bass in the bathroom sink. What are the key things they can take away from your book?

TF: How to learn, period. This is the book for people who don’t buy cookbooks…and that includes people who don’t plan to cook. To me, cooking is a metaphor. If you can take this thing that is supposed to be difficult, that you’ve never been able to do, and by focusing on a few simple leverage points, get to world class in a matter of weeks, then you can do anything. So I apply that mindset in the book to all sorts of subjects from languages to swimming to hunting. I hope people take away a passion for learning and a reminder to enjoy life.

RK: What happens if you spend five (not four) hours a week on something?

TF: By all means! The point of my philosophy is to eliminate needless time spent on things you don’t enjoy, so you can spend more time on the things you do enjoy. If cooking or fitness happen to be things you’re deeply passionate about, spend every waking hour on them. It just happens that most people don’t like spending every waking hour at the office or answering email.

What do you think RunKeepers? What are you looking to master? What tools do you need to get there? 

Those RunKeeper hikers just keep getting their hike on, and taking some awesome photos while they’re at it. Here’s some from the weekend that we think you’ll slightly appreciate. Don’t forget; there’s only 1 week left in RunKeeper hiking month. Finish strong!

Again, all things RunKeeper hiking send it on over to hiking@runkeeper.com or use the hashtag #HikeRK on Twitter. Thanks!

Note: This release is for iPhone only at the moment, Android is coming soon!

We’re pleased to announce that a big new release (iPhone version 2.8) is now live!  This one is particularly sweet, since it brings some long-requested features from many of you in the RunKeeper community.  We hope you enjoy it! 

Here’s what’s new in this version:

Friends & Leaderboard

Now you can find your Facebook friends and phone contacts that are already RunKeeper users and invite new people to join—without leaving the app. In the spirit of healthy competition we also added a leaderboard, so you can see how you stack up against your friends each month. You can even *nudge* your not-so-active ones to go for a run, walk, or bike ride in order to give them a little extra motivation!   

‘Me’ tab

Sometimes your best competition is against yourself! With the ‘Me’ tab, it displays insights on your activity history and progress against your goals in one convenient place. It compares how you’ve been doing this week/month versus the one prior, and showcases personal bests that you’ve achieved while using RunKeeper.  Check it out, and keep tabs on how you’re doing over time!

Scheduled workouts

For those of you that need a little extra motivation, you can now schedule your next workout as you finish your last one!  This way you will get a notification on your phone when it is time to head out, to make sure you go through with it.  If you are following a RunKeeper training plan, you can also create automatic alerts for each workout in your plan, if you choose.

Try it out, and let us know what you think!  There is a whole lot more where this came from, we can’t wait to show you what’s next.

Need some hiking inspiration for the weekend? A group of awesome people (maybe RunKeeper users, maybe not) hike the John Muir Trail and share their 219 mile, 25 day story! #HikeRK