Many of us have become accustomed to being peppered
with warnings about the dangers of being overweight, the silent killers like
diabetes and heart disease, and the many foods that aren’t good for us. And
just when we thought we had figured it out, there’s a new kid in town – the “Sitting
Disease”.
“Sitting Disease” has become the buzz word
when referring to the side effects of a sedentary lifestyle, and sadly this is
now defined as any person who spends the majority of their day sitting down.
You may think that you don’t have a
sedentary lifestyle, but the unfortunate fact is that as we have become more
reliant on technology, we have also become more sedentary.
Does this describe you? You spend the
better part of an hour driving to and from work. You sit in front of a computer for six to
eight hours a day, only rising as you grab a coffee and some lunch. You get home and relax in front of the
television or computer and maybe if you made the time, you spent an hour at the
gym. And this isn’t even counting the number of hours we spend sleeping. As you
can see, it is not uncommon to clock 10-12 hours on our derrieres every day!
Why do we care about this “sitting disease”? Recent evidence suggests that having a high
level of sedentary behaviour (aka an office job) negatively impacts our health
independent of other factors including body weight, diet, and physical
activity. The statistics are still coming out, but here are some current
tidbits:
- “An 18% increased risk of dying
from cardiovascular disease for every hour of television you watch per day”
- “People
with sedentary jobs are more likely to develop obesity, diabetes,
cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), osteoporosis and some
cancers (breast and bowel)"
- “There is a link between low activity and a
greater risk of dementia, depression and impaired physical function in the
elderly”
Here is the unfortunate truth – even if you
exercise daily and have a healthy diet and weight, but have a desk job, you’re likely in the dog house! But don’t despair,
there are some tricks you can employ to get your butt out of your chair without
impeding your work.
Some offices are now equipped with
treadmill workstations allowing employees to walk while working on their
computers or talking on the phone. Studies have shown that employees using
these workstations on a regular basis take less sick days, have healthier
weight, have lower blood pressure, and feel better overall, which is great for
both the employer and employee. But if you
don’t have access to a treadmill workstation there are many small things you
can do to keep moving during your day.
- Schedule walking meetings. Walk around the block or around your building
or office instead of sitting in a boardroom
- If you must be in a boardroom,
stand up during the meeting
- Alternate between sitting on a
ball and a chair in your office. Change
position every half hour
- Get yourself a standing
workstation
- Take a few stairwell breaks
during your day
- Use the phone/email less – get
up and speak to your coworkers in person instead of sending notes.
Sherpa recently purchased a patented unit called a Varidesk to take
its first step in dealing with “Sitting Disease”. A special desktop sits on top of a
pre-existing desk and can be raised easily to a standing height that is
comfortable for different users of different heights. This will be a community workstation for
anyone in the office to use!
- Laura McArthur