Sitting has been branded the "new smoking", especially for people with sit-down office jobs. Studies have linked sitting for prolonged periods of time with:
- Heightened risk of cancer
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Depression
- A higher risk of being disabled
Those with more than four hours a day of recreational screen time were found to have:
- Nearly 50% increased risk of death from any cause
- About a 125% increased risk of cardiovascular disease, such as chest pain (angina) or heart attack
- Other studies have found 60-75 minutes of rigorous physical activity per day reduced the harmful effects of sitting associated with death from cardiovascular disease or death by all causes
It's imperative to find ways to permit office workers forced to spend numerous hours per day in front of a computer to add physical activity to their daily routine:
Tips On Reducing Sitting Time At Work:
- Stand while talking on the phone or eating lunch
- If you sit at work for long periods of time, try a standing desk - or improvise with a high table or counter
- Walk laps with your colleagues rather than gathering in a conference room for meetings or have standing meetings
If you work from home or are in a flexible job:
- Position your work surface above a treadmill with a computer screen and keyboard on a stand or a specialized treadmill-ready vertical desk so you can be in motion throughout the day.
- Even leisurely movement burns calories, leading to weight loss & increased energy.
- Standing or actively moving helps activate the processes related to the breakdown of fats and sugars within the body.