Newsletter No. 542

09 # 5 4 2 | 0 4 . 0 9 . 2 0 1 9 I started using a standing desk a few months ago here at CUHK. I do the majority of my writing and editorial work standing up. While there are other factors involved, I believe my productivity is higher when I’m standing as opposed to sitting. My energy levels remain high and it’s easier for me to stave off creeping drowsiness while I’m on my feet. In my chair, I often find myself in that lethargic position of resting my head in my hands—this position is wholly impossible while standing upright. Sitting down incites slouching and can damage our posture, especially in the late afternoons as our energy wanes. With spending a full day in a chair, sometimes I unknowingly found myself slinking deeper and deeper with each passing hour. My shoulders raised well above my ears and my spine resembled a strand of loose spaghetti amid my slouch. My standing desk has resulted in less time sitting down, thus less time spent slouching in a chair. My back, shoulders, and neck especially have benefitted. The standing desk helps me remain mindful about my posture, allowing me to put in more regular, conscious effort to keep my spine and back straight. Of course, there are detractors of the standing desk phenomenon (beyond individuals who feel self-conscious when they see people being proactive about their health). While the benefits of sitting for fewer hours remain, studies have also surfaced about the detriments of standing for extended periods of time, with reports of lower limb swelling and decreases in alertness. CUHK’s Director of University Safety, Mr. Ralph Lee , expanded upon this: ‘We cannot be oblivious to potential health problems instigated by prolonged standing. Apart from the likelihood of developing varicose veins, some studies suggest the load on the spine is higher, causing shrinking of the lumbar spine.’ Further, reports of decreased mental acuity could stem from increases in physical fatigue or discomfort from standing up. For these reasons, a study published in Ergonomics , a research journal that focuses on human interaction with products, concluded that a standing desk should be implemented with caution. Personally, I spend about four hours standing up to work each day and about four hours seated. Some days I’ll stand for the entire morning and sit for the entire afternoon. Other days I’ll rotate an hour of each at a time. The combinations vary and depend on what you’re comfortable with; there isn’t an exact prescription. ‘Alternating between sitting and standing would be desirable and recommended. After all, too much of anything could be a bad thing,’ added Mr. Lee. A standing desk is one more way to, ultimately, take a stand for a healthier lifestyle. Phil Rosen 棟篤幹 Sitting is the New Smoking If this marks the first time you’ve heard this, consider it your initiation into the ever-expanding community of people who have grown weary of taking a seat. While the title quip may be an exaggerated appraisal, more and more cubicle-bound personnel are taking a stand— literally—towards a more health-conscious lifestyle. Odds are you’ve taken notice. Have you ever seen that one person who insists on standing up to work, as if to grandstand their health-conscious lifestyle? Maybe that health nut is onto something; there are no shortage of studies documenting the correlation between sitting and negative health consequences. With the advent of technology and everyday conveniences, ‘sedentary’ has never been a more fitting lifestyle description. Silly as it may seem to work upright, a standing desk may be just what the doctor ordered. Often we dissociate lifestyle from work, viewing the two as disparate realms. The division has its merits: it helps us leave work at work, leave home at home, and avoid the mixture of business and pleasure. Yet, our own well-being blurs the work-lifestyle demarcation that many of us so vehemently adhere to. Each of us carries our health back and forth between the office and the dinner table, between research meetings and family barbecues. Each day, how we feel dictates the fullness with which we can live our lives and the productivity of our workday. Sitting down interminably erodes our health and dampens productivity, whether we know it or not. A slew of ailments can be sourced to overextended hours (or years) of sitting down. Each time we sit, our hip flexors shorten and can lose flexibility over time. Remaining seated for long hours, day in day out, places our hip in constant flexion. Very little hip extension occurs during a seated workday, ultimately shortening the involved tendons and impinging upon mobility. If neglected, posture may suffer—not to mention an increased risk of obesity, back pain, inflammation, lack of mobility, and joint issues. （局部） 這卷《蝴蝶圖》畫法與《金石昆蟲草木狀》相似，設色濃重豔麗，細節與輪廓線勾描清晰，亦 是文俶作品的傳世佳例。畫卷前後共留有七方清宮收藏印，據考直至民國時期為瀏陽李鴻球 所得前一直藏於清宮。卷中有工筆畫出的鴨拓草、石竹、萱花、大濱菊與竹枝，也有以沒骨寫 成的各式野草與紫菊。值得一提的是，空中翩翩飛舞的蝴蝶狀寫入微，甚至能辨認出是尖鈎 粉蝶、東亞豆粉蝶、美眼蛺蝶、連紋黛眼蝶等品種，反映文俶堅實的寫生功力。 文俶之外，明代秦淮八艷之一的馬湘蘭、詩畫兼擅，更通醫術劍法的吳規臣、寫下「問襟期， 原不讓男兒，天生錯」之句的廣東才女吴尚熹等古代女性畫家無疑都是有故事的人。在文物 館即將舉行的展覽《北山汲古：中國繪畫》中，「玉臺妙墨」的單元將展出十一位古代女性畫 家的作品。歡迎大家於9月21日至12月15日前來參觀，走近她們充滿靈光的藝術世界。 Heidi Wong 快要開學了，家有小孩的在職媽媽想必無比期待。現代女性生活之忙碌與多姿多彩我們多有 體會，不過說到古代女性，除了電視電影中添上不少想像成分的角色，大眾認知中的她們大 概可以用溫柔和順卻面目模糊來形容。其實古代和現代一樣，都有很多閃閃發亮的奇女子。 畫下文物館藏這卷《蝴蝶圖》的文俶即是一例。 大部分在歷史中留下痕跡的女子，不是有顯赫的父兄夫婿兒子，就是得益於才子名士的傳揚 讚譽，文俶也不例外。她是吳門領袖文徵明的玄孫女，嫁予治印家趙宧光之子趙均為妻。據錢 謙益為趙均所寫墓誌銘，可知文俶明詩習禮，善於寫生花蝶蟲草。她的才華除了吸引許多女性 向其學畫之外，因其畫作屢被搶購，相信也為她的家庭帶來可觀收入。例如現藏臺北國家圖 書館的《金石昆蟲草木狀》畫成後就不斷有求觀者造訪趙均與文俶隱居的寒山，最終由張鳳 翼之侄張方耳以千金購得。 閃閃發亮的古代女子 Our Fair Ladies 康 健 型 格 / H ealth M atters 雅 共 賞 / ART iculation