Take a look around your workplace. Did you know that your chair could be one of the most deadly things there? “Sitting Disease” (or hypokinetic disease) has been in the news, warning us about the harmful effects sitting for long periods has on our body and mind. In our modern, technology-driven, chair-based world, sitting has become our smoking.
Research has shown that sitting too long creates some negative metabolic changes in our bodies. HDL (the good cholesterol), insulin sensitivity, lipase (an enzyme that breaks down fat) and oxygen levels in our brain begin to decrease after sitting for a couple of hours. Risk of death increases by 40% if you sit for 6+ hours per day versus someone who sits for three hours per day.
Structured exercise helps reduce, but not totally protect you from the risk from sitting. If you sit all day at work after your morning run, you are considered an “active couch potato” and are still at risk for sitting disease.
It’s time for a culture change. As we strive to practice wholeness, here are some suggestions to eradicate sitting disease from your workplace:
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Every hour, get up out of your chair and walk in place for 1-2 minutes.
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Studies show that on average, we sit 7.7 hours a day and some as high as 15 hours a day. Calculate your daily risk based on your sitting time at juststand.org.
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Drinking a lot of water results in more trips to the restroom.
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In meetings, choose a seat that allows you to take standing breaks easily. If you hold meetings, try doing “walking meetings.”
For more ideas, check out websites such as juststand.org.
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Ernie Medina is executive director at the Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyle and Disease Prevention at Loma Linda University School of Public Health.
Article originally appeared in Living Whole Newsletter (Vl. 84), a publication of the Living Whole Employee Wellness Program. View the newsletter here.