It's general knowledge that sedentary behaviour is bad for our health, but do you try to avoid it at work? Or did you succumb to sitting for long bouts of time?
Research shows that for each hour of sedentary time, there is a 22% elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Additionally, prolonged sitting also increases our risk for serious health ailments such as heart disease and cancer. As such, a better work lifestyle should be practised. Thus, these are practical solutions that you can do to avoid sedentary behaviour at work.
Did you know that by swapping one hour of sitting each day with standing can reduce the risk of early death by 5%? Suffice to say that standing desks is a worthwhile investment for an ergonomic workspace design. Nowadays, a height-adjustable desk is also available readily in the market for health-conscious individuals.
Even if you exercise regularly, it is not a cure-all way to avoid sedentary behaviour when you are working. During your breaks, you can take some time to stretch or do quick exercises such as walking around the office. By doing simple stretching or exercise, you can also reduce strain injuries and increase your productivity.
In addition to exercises, taking regular breaks is also just as significant. Study shows that allotting breaks in the morning can improve motivation and energy. Moreover, taking several short breaks can break up the monotony of working. Nevertheless, it would be best if you spend your breaks with activities such as walking around or mingling with your colleague. Do not just sit on your chair during your breaks.
Besides that, you can also use pedometers to track your movements throughout your working hours. You can easily access your movement progress and decide if you need to put more effort into avoiding a sedentary lifestyle.
Several recent studies indicate that the most significant factor of a passive lifestyle is the amount spent sitting down. Interestingly, the amount of exercise does not count if we sit for long hours every day. Therefore, we should target reducing the sitting times instead of the time we spend exercising.
To sum it up, we should start to avoid sedentary behaviour at work for our general health and wellness. Therefore we should stand more, sit less, and take regular short breaks.
Invest in a standing desk
Do quick stretching or exercises
Take regular breaks
Use pedometers
Avoid sitting for long hours
