Back in August of 2009, I came across an episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. His guest was the author of Born to Run, Christopher McDougall. I was inspired by the tribe he spoke of, the Tarahumara, and how they live and travel.
I bought his book from my local Chapters and read it in 4 days. I was amazed at how he told the story and how informational it was.
The idea that your body is not meant to sit for prolonged periods of time made perfect sense to me. I thought about how much time I have spent sitting down throughout my life. I have a desk job.
8.5 hours a day, 42.5 hours a week, 170 hours a month, 2040 hours a year.
What if that 2040 hours was spent standing as opposed to sitting?
I did some Googling and found several articles and blogs. My two favorite are:
Kyle Cordes’ Blog – Standing Desk Experiment and Experiences
NYTimes.com – Stand Up While You Read This!
Work
I used some boxes to elevate my keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

I started my transition in July of 2010. Initially, I could not stand for more than 10 minutes before developing lower back pain. As time passed, my body gradually grew stronger.
As of September of 2011, I have been standing both at work and home for the entire day for a year.
Home
I purchased a shelf from Home Depot for $113.

This is the same type of shelf that Kyle Cordes used for his own standing solution.
I am far more productive now than I was while sitting. I no longer get shoulder pain. My entire body is stronger and more toned. My posture is excellent as I no longer sink into a chair or slump forward on a desk surface which puts strain on the spine.
While the transition is painful, I highly recommend it to anyone who spends the majority of their day sitting. Standing helps you achieve better health, emotional & mental state, and increased strength & endurance.
You do not want to stand still the entire time because you will become stiff. If you have a desk job, you can look into treadmill desks. Google it.
If not, pace back and forth, go for periodic walks, whatever gets you moving.
Ideally, you do not even want a desk job. You want a job where you are almost always on the go; basically anything that does not require a computer and a phone. You do not see, for example, restaurant staff sitting. Due to some of the highest paying jobs being technology driven in today’s society and economy, it is an excellent idea to invest or improvise in a standing solution if you are stuck in a desk job.