Alternatives to sitting at your desk all day

Desk job dilemma

According to researchers at Clemson University, working in sedentary deskbound environments might not be harmful in the short term but is related to long-term chronic disease and physical frailty and weakness. It also aggravates existing bad posture problems and back pain.

Additional research at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute revealed that interrupting sitting time with short bouts of light intensity exercise can actually lower glucose and insulin levels by as much as 30% and help in the fight against diabetes.

What these research results showed was that deskbound office workers who incorporated physical activity in a practical way in the workplace could actually improve their physical and mental health without detracting from their ability to work or study effectively. Here’s how…

Fitness and health friendly alternatives

Physical activity work stations are a new concept with positive health and fitness benefits for those who are desk bound for most of the day. Some examples of physical activity work stations commonly in use include the following:

Treadmill desks

Walking and working at the same time might seem unrealistic at first, but once you get the hang of it you’ll soon notice it’s actually a great way to get a lot of work done.
Group CEO of e-Commerce for Econet Wireless, Neil Schwartzman (42) had this to say about the benefits of the treadmill desk: “I also believe people think better on their feet. Many of my best thoughts come when I’m walking. Steve Jobs used to hold walking meetings for exactly that reason.”

Bike desks

Pedal while you work and counter the effects of a sedentary job. This ergonomic stationary bike and laptop workstation has been tested and is used in both business and higher education settings such as university libraries.

Stand-up desks

Standing workstations offer so many more benefits than sitting all day. Standing can burn twice the kilojoules as when sitting while still allowing you to use your computer easily and comfortably. It encourages better posture and lengthens your spine and hip flexors. Sitting all day keeps your hip flexors in a shortened (tightened) position and may cause chronic tension that can lead to back pain.

Is it feasible?

Although it’s understandable that not all work may be conducive to a physical activity workstation, there is a lot to be said about the health and fitness benefits of at least using some of these alternatives some of the time. Also, a growing mountain of evidence shows that workforce health is an important factor in the financial health of a corporation. “Now that the connection has been made, employers can see that the decision to invest in the health of their employees is a decision associated with a healthy bottom line. Not only do employees benefit, but shareholders benefit as well”, says Daniel Malan, lecturer at Stellenbosch University Business School.

 

Sources

E-commerce expert sings praises of the treadmill desk. Retrieved from: http://walkandwork.co.za/blogs/all
Nichols, N. Four fitness-friendly alternatives to your desk. Retrieved from: Chairhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=4_fitnessfriendly_alternatives_to_your_desk_chair
Professor finds positive effects from bringing physical activity to the desk. 2016. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160705135132.htm
Standing up from your desk every 30 minutes can avoid diabetes by 30%. Retrieved from: http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/standing-up-from-your-desk-every-30-minutes-can-avoid-diabetes-by-30/