Sitting Down on the Job!

As you read this, you’re probably sitting down, looking at your computer screen. In fact, if you’re like many people, you probably spend a great deal of time sitting down each day. Think about how long you spend sitting – at a desk, on the couch, in the car, at a cafe, on the bus – for a moment and make a mental note of how many hours you spend like that each day.

If you are like most of the millions of Australians who work in call centres, retail outlets or offices, you might be shocked to hear that you probably spend around 77 per cent of each day sitting down. This alarming number was revealed during a survey which was conducted by Baker IDI and the University of Sydney in 2009. Researchers found that on average, employees in these occupations who worked a normal 38 hour week spent 31 of these hours seated.

By any standards, 31 hours a week is a long time to be sedentary. Yet the really concerning fact is that a number of medical studies have found that being seated for long periods each day is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cancer, and also increases the risk of death from all causes.

These findings were from an Australian study and were published in January 2010. The outcomes of the study were specifically, as follows:

* Every hour a person spends sitting, their individual risk of death (from all causes) increases by 11 per cent
* Every hour spent sitting represents an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 18 per cent
* Every hour spent sitting represents an increased risk of death from cancer by 9 per cent.

Other studies back up this research: spending most of each day sitting down has also been identified as a risk factor for obesity and diabetes. It’s easy to see the inactivity-obesity link, but researchers have uncovered other, far more complex mechanisms at play.

A number of studies have proposed that the act of sitting for a long time is worse than simply not using up energy. Scientists have found evidence to suggest that being seated for a large part of each day actually triggers the body to start doing things that are bad for us.

What has been suggested is that some muscles produce substances (such as a molecule known as lipoprotein lipase) that help us process and store fats and sugars well – but only when they are being flexed; not when they aren’t being used. The theory goes that if we sit for a long time, we don’t produce enough of these molecules. This means that not only are we not being active, but on top of that our bodies start to process the fats consumed in ineffective ways. Other research backs this up as there is an established link between low levels of lipoprotein lipase and heart disease.

Sitting down for a long time each day means hours and hours when lots of our muscles are not being used much at all.

I have to sit down for my job – what can I do?

Lots of us have jobs that involve using a computer and desk, or where we need to be seated. It’s not practical to stand up all day long, either, so what can you do to minimise the health risk that sitting down may present? Quite a bit, actually.

Here are some suggestions that even the most desk-bound among us can benefit from:

* Get up from the sitting position often. Take regular short breaks throughout each day. A few minutes every hour to have a stretch and brisk walk about will really help.
* Stand up each time you take a phone call and don’t sit down until you’ve hung up. See if you can get a long phone cord or cordless phone on your desk and walk about a bit as you talk.
* Incorporate moving about into your working day by chatting to colleagues (instead of emailing or phoning people who are in the same office), checking your pigeon hole or going down to the mail room to fetch any snail mail deliveries. Use the stairs instead of the lift.
* Use any opportunity to get up that’s available – if someone comes to your desk for a chat, stand up; instead of filling a jug with water and keeping it at your desk, get up each time you want to refill your glass and walk to the water cooler...
* Go for a walk at lunchtime or during your break. Use the time to grab a bite to eat and clear your mind with a quick walk in the fresh air.
* Stand up while you work. If you are reading something on the computer or checking emails, see if there is a space (such as a shelf) at eye height where you can rest your laptop so you can stand while you do this. You don’t have to even walk around to benefit – just stand up.
* Chat to your manager about ways you could incorporate standing up, as opposed to sitting down, into your daily work schedule. Consider using a bar or cafe style table that is designed for use while standing and have weekly meetings on your feet instead of in a chair.
* Some workplaces have fitness equipment onsite for employee use. If you work somewhere that offers this facility, be sure to use it. Read a report while walking at a slow pace on a treadmill, or even set up your laptop on it for an hour each day!
* If you have a job that means you are seated for much of the day, be creative and try and find new ways to get up on your feet as often as possible throughout the day. If you take public transport, stand up instead of taking a seat; don’t spend hours sitting or lying on the couch of an evening; and don’t come home from a long day sitting at your computer only to log on at home.
* If you are not someone who avidly exercises, perhaps consider renting or investing in a treadmill or exercise bike at home and try and spend half an hour or so morning and night slowly cycling or walking – perhaps while you watch your favourite TV show.
* Be sure to exercise each day – a long, slow walk after work may be better than half an hour of frantic running.

New research can bring us interesting new insights into how our lifestyles are potentially impacting our health, now and in the future. If you’re someone who spends a long time sitting each day, then make a few small changes to your life, for the better.

Article sourced from Australian Unity newsletter
http://au.healthinsite.net/ContentViewerPane/ContentViewerPane.aspx?cookie=10096498&Content=4320&ContentType=1