In today’s corporate world, desk jobs are the norm, often requiring long hours of sedentary work. This lifestyle, while sometimes unavoidable, poses significant health risks. However, integrating active movement and exercise into your workday can counteract these negative effects, fostering a healthier and more productive workplace. Here’s why and how you can be more active.
The Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle
Increased Risk of Heart Disease Prolonged sitting is linked to higher blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and larger waist circumference, all of which increase the risk of heart disease. Studies have shown that desk job workers have a 2.2% higher risk of cardiovascular disease over a 10-year period compared to those with more active jobs.
Obesity and Mortality Risks Daily sitting time significantly impacts your health. For every additional two hours of sitting, there’s a 5% increase in the risk of obesity and a 7% increase in mortality risk. Over 12 years, those who sit for prolonged periods have a 1.4 times higher risk of premature death.
Musculoskeletal Disorders Prolonged sitting can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, including back pain, neck pain, and joint stiffness. These issues can significantly impact your quality of life and productivity at work.
Encouraging Movement in the Workplace
Fortunately, having a desk job does not have to sentence someone to poor health forever. In fact, there are many ways companies and employees can take their health into their own hands.
On-Site Facilities Many companies recognize the importance of health and wellness for their employees and seek to help by providing on-site facilities. Gyms, fitness classes, and recreational areas can encourage employees to take breaks and engage in physical activity.
Walking Meetings Employees can make a difference in their health (and often their productivity) by transforming their traditional sit-down meetings into walking meetings. This simple change not only promotes physical activity but also can enhance creativity and reduce stress.
Corporate Competitions Introducing corporate competitions that recognize and reward employees who consistently engage in a wellness activities can foster a culture of health and fitness. These competitions can be fun and motivating, encouraging everyone to participate. Companies can start small with a simple step competition. Whether it is a challenge for a week or for a month, engaging in a corporate competition can give employees the motivation they need to improve their health, build good habits, and stay active.
Easy Desk Exercises
Exercise can happen at your desk too! Incorporating simple exercises into your workday can make a significant difference. Here are a few to get you started:
- Seated Leg Raises
- How: Sit up straight in your chair and extend one of your legs forward at a time, holding it for a could of five or ten seconds. Do a few reps of this throughout your workday.
- Benefits: Strengthens the quadriceps and improves circulation in your legs.
- Chair Dips
- How: Find a stationary chair (doing this on a chair with wheels is a recipe for disaster). Sit at the edge of your chair and place your hands beside your hips. Slide off the edge of your chair and lower your body by bending your elbows. Push back up. Do as many reps as your are able and slowly increase them over time.
- Benefits: Targets triceps and improves upper body strength.
- Neck Stretches
- How: Cross your arms behind your back and gently roll your head from one side to the other stretching out your neck muscles.
- Benefits: Relieves tension and reduces the risk of neck strain.
- Seated Torso Twist
- How: Sitting upright, place your right hand on the back of the chair, twist your torso to the right, hold, then repeat on the left side.
- Benefits: Enhances spinal mobility and relieves back tension.
- Standing Calf Raises
- How: Stand and hold onto the desk for support and raise your heels off the ground before slowly lowering them back down. You can do this quickly or slowly depending on your preference.
- Benefits: Strengthens calf muscles and boosts circulation.
Making Movement a Habit
In addition to desk exercises, consider integrating other habits into your workday so you get up and move:
- Taking the Stairs: Opt for stairs over elevators whenever possible to stay active.
- Take a lap: When you feel like you need a break, take a lap around the office before returning to your desk.
- Standing Desks: Alternate between sitting and standing to reduce prolonged sitting.
Products That Improve Health
A BIFMA certified height adjustable desk
What is BIFMA?
BIFMA sets the standards for furniture safety, performance, and sustainability standards that impact people’s lives.
A BIFMA certified height adjustable desk ranges from 22.6”-48.7”. With this range, the desk supports a resting elbow height of as low as the 5th percentile of women and as high as the 95th percentile of men. Comparatively, a height adjustable desk with a basic range does not accommodate the resting elbow height of 95% of women and 50% of men. When the desk is in full standing position, 30% of men are not accommodated. This translates to poor posture, tension in the neck and shoulders, and an increased chance for pain. When it comes to choosing a height adjustable desk, you don’t want basic, you want BIFMA!
Moving Forward
By incorporating these practices into your daily routine, you can significantly reduce the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Encouraging active movement and exercise in the workplace not only benefits individual health but also enhances overall productivity and well-being.
Let’s embrace a culture of movement and wellness, making our workdays healthier and more dynamic. Start today with these simple steps and inspire others to join you on the path to a healthier lifestyle.
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