Stand Up for Better Health

Most people who work in office jobs spend the majority of their day sitting with few breaks. In fact, a new study in the British Sports Journal found that 65-70% of office working hours are spent sitting at a desk, especially for prolonged periods of time. The investigators published a consensus statement recommending that desk workers engage in standing and light activity for two hours a day with a goal of reaching four hours per day. This is because research suggests that prolonged sitting leads to an increased incidence of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer, and mental health disorders. It is important to promote more active work environments, where workers can stand while talking with co-workers or on while they are on the phone. One way to do this is to change the layout of offices, as they have done in Scandinavia, where 90% of office workers have sit-stand workstations. Until such stations become widespread in our society, workers should be sure to take breaks to stretch, to correct their posture, and to move around.