Do you sit too much?

Uncategorized

8 Sep

In the past few years there has been a big push for more standing desks in the workplace. More recently the same thing is being proposed for the classroom.

So what is all the fuss about?

We spend far too much of our time sitting. We sit to eat breakfast and then sit in the car, sit at work, and sit on the way home, then sit on the couch until going to bed. In reality we were not designed to sit all day. We were designed to walk, run, squat and climb. It is not good to sit for this long – physically or psychologically.
Research shows that a sedentary lifestyle with too much sitting decreases energy expenditure and increases risk of Heart Disease, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Cancer, Back and neck pain and other orthopaedic problems.

So what can you do about it?

Firstly if you have a job where you sit for the majority of the day get up as often as possible to stretch and re-set your posture (every 20 minutes is ideal).

If you have the ability to use a stand-up desk these are a big advantage. Just be careful not to fall into any poor postures (don’t lock knees or hang off one hip!).
Another option is to kneel at your desk. This will mean that your hips are in a more natural position and only require minimal adjustment of your current workplace. Use a pillow under your knees and just start kneeling for short periods throughout the day and slowly increase it.