Office Safety

Hazard

Prolonged Sitting - Our bodies are not designed for prolonged sitting

Hunter-gatherers -> Agriculturists -> Industrial Revolution -> Technological Revolution

Our bodies are simply not designed to sit at a desk for prolonged amounts of time!

Prolonged Sitting

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People spend a large amount of time sitting (driving to work, sitting at a desk, watching TV, etc.)

Sitting is an independent risk factor for poor health. Regular exercise outside of working hours is a good practice, but studies show that it doesnt entirely make up for the prolonged sitting.
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Sitting can now be considered the new form of smoking, since it is so common people are reluctant to see the health hazards (Marco Hamilton at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana)

Prolonged Sitting
Studies:
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Researchers at the American Cancer Society found that even if you exercise nearly every day, those health benefits can be undone if you spend the rest of your time sitting. This 14 year study indicated that more leisure time spent sitting was associated with higher risk of mortality, particularly in women.

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A study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that sitting for more than six hours a day, can make someone at least 18% more likely to die from diabetes, heart disease and obesity than those sitting less than three hours a day.

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Scientists at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana analyzed the lifestyles of more than 17,000 men and women over about 13 years, and found that people who sit for most of the day are 54% more likely to die of heart attacks.

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2007 study headed by Dr. James A. Levine of the Mayo Clinic monitored the activities of employees for 6 months by a device on their belts. Employees used equipment like treadmill desks and wireless headsets and collectively lost 150 lbs, most of it in body fat.

Why is sitting so hard on the body?

According to Mens Health advisor Bill Hartman, P.T., C.S.C.S sitting:
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Messes up your posture. The fascia, the tissue that connects individual muscles into a full-

body network, begins to set when you stay in one position for too long. If youre hunched over
a keyboard all day, this eventually becomes your normal posture.
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Causes you to gain weight. This happens for two reasons. First, you burn 60 more calories an hour when standing versus sitting. But more importantly, your largest muscle groupthe

glutes (a.k.a. your butt)become lazy and quit firing (gluteal amnesia). And it means you
burn fewer calories.
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Causes lower back pain. Weak glutes push your pelvis forward, putting stress on the spine, says Hartman.

Why is sitting so hard on the body?

Other findings:
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Scientists at the University of Missouri have found that the act of sitting seems to shut off the circulation of a fat-absorbing enzyme called lipase. Standing up promotes distribution of lipase and uses blood glucose. Sitting down slows these processes that metabolize calories, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers

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Solution?
Stop trying to be fit and start trying to live fit. Think of Exercise as a lifestyle not a activity.
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Get up and move throughout the workday (i.e. sit on an exercise ball or stand up) Stand up briefly every 20 minutes or at least twice per hour

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Sit-stand workstations If you are not wearing comfy shoes keep a pair in your office for standing Ensure the screen is arms length, at top eye level, and arms are at 90 degrees

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Use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible Walk to coworkers desk instead of sending and email or instant message and stand-up for phone calls Structured group activity breaks

What are other companies doing? Daily emails with ideas for staying active at work

Treadmill desks for walking meetings and workstations for periodic use

References
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/jobs/working-out-inside-theoffice.html

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http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/13/the-dangers-of-sitting-atwork%E2%80%94and-standing/#ixzz1vXjQruSK

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http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/most-dangerous-thing-youlldo-all-day http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/0610stand_up_for_your_health.htm http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38385104/ns/health-fitness/

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/sitting-long-work-pose-healthdanger/story?id=11926874