According to James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic “Today, our bodies are breaking down from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression, and the cascade of health ills and everyday malaise that come from what scientists have named sitting disease.” Martha Grogan a cardiologist states “For people who sit most of the day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking”. As the researchers are finding sitting or being sedentary is a health issue and can shorten your life. What does this mean for the average office worker who sits for 5-6 hours a day?
We need to get up off our chairs. This doesn’t mean standing all day, it is about adding variety and alternating between sitting and standing.
The health benefits include:
- living longer
- more energy and less fatigue
- losing weight
- reduces aches and pains
Tips for standing more at work:
- have standing or walking meetings
- provide adjustable desks for alternating between standing and sitting
- walk at lunch time
- have standing tables in the lunch room
- take phone calls standing up
- take the stairs instead of the lift
- walk to a colleague’s desk, instead of emailing or phoning
- stand up during presentations or speeches
- put the printer in another room or away from your desk
Stand up more New Zealand, it’s better for your health. For more information see Dr. James Levine’s Book “Get Up – Why Your Chair Is Killing You & What You Can Do About It”