You may think your job is killing you, but in reality it may be the office chair that is threatening your life. Recent research has shown that people who sit most of the day having a far greater chance of dying than those with a more active workday. According to Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic, we are "sitting ourselves to death." If you are currently in a job that requires you sit much of the day, do not despair. There are ways to be productive and still get you out of that chair.
Standing Desks
Standing desks force you to your feet and keep you there while actually increasing office productivity by around eleven percent while encouraging more movement during the day. The average office worker spends 5 hours and 41 minutes sitting down during the workday, a practice that is quite detrimental to your health. Standing instead of sitting during that time has been found to reduce the incidence of obesity, Type II Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, while reducing your long-term mortality risk. Going to the gym for an hour after a long day of sitting may help counteract the harm done during the workday, but getting as much exercise as possible at work is a better strategy.
Office Exercise
If a standing desk is not an option for you, try to fit more movement into your workday by doing simple things like walking to a colleague's office instead of e-mailing him and periodically standing up and stretching. Some offices will allow you to use an exercise ball for an office chair. This practice forces you to use your muscles to keep your balance throughout the day. If you have a headset, stand and move while you are on long phone calls and use office meetings as a time to silently work your abdominals. If you have your own office or cubicle, try using a few free weights to work on your biceps and triceps for five minutes a few times a day. Even if you have an office chair, you do not have to sit in it every minute of the workday to be productive at your job.
Your office chair is not actually killing you: The way you use it may be. If at all possible, do not plant yourself in it for hours at a time. Take the opportunity to move as much as you possibly can throughout the day to prevent illnesses brought on by a sedentary lifestyle. Talk to a professional about more office furniture options.
Share24 June 2015
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