Sitting is becoming the new smoking

There is a growing body of evidence that high levels of sedentary behaviour and sitting in particular are emerging risk factors for chronic disease including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It may even cause premature death.
The good news is that being physically active offers some protection against the harms of sitting; research shows standing or replacing sitting time with the activities of daily living (such as housework, gardening, or walking) could reduce the health risks posed by too much sitting.
But that’s no excuse to stop exercising: adults should limit their daily sitting time and break up prolonged periods of sitting, in addition to regular physical activity, for better health and well-being. In other words, reducing sitting time won’t replace the well-established health benefits of regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, such as brisk walking, running, cycling or dancing.
The health risks linked to prolonged periods of sitting are particularly pertinent to people with largely sedentary jobs, such as office workers. And a growing number of people are getting standing desks in response to the increasing knowledge about the harms of their sedentary lifestyles.
Standing desks, or sit-stand contraptions, are an effective way for office workers to incorporate more standing into their workday. But can you transition to standing at work without causing yourself harm and injury? Of course you can, although there are some precautions that will ensure you not only avoid injury but also stick to standing in the long term.
The Stand at Work study, a joint initiative by Sydney University and the Heart Foundation, found that a number of people initially felt self conscious standing, especially taking phone calls in the open plan office, or doing confidential work, for which they usually elected to sit down. For many, this feeling lessened over time, especially as more people participated in the study. Some employees felt they were more easily distracted when standing, or that it was inviting other people to interrupt them. The wrong type of footwear (for example, high heels) was also noted as a barrier among women. Finally, design limitations of the workstation model used in the trial were an issue for a number of users.
The low down on standing up
Ease yourself into it
To avoid discomfort and aching muscles, start standing for short periods of time and gradually build up that time as you get used to it.
Try different routines to find what works for you
You might like to alternate between sitting and standing based on your work tasks (standing to check emails and read documents, for instance, and sitting down to write notes or type documents). Or change posture based on the time of day (standing first thing in the morning for instance, or after lunch) or for set periods of time, such as every one or two hours.
Wear comfortable shoes or take off your shoes when standing up
Standing on an anti-fatigue mat may help to mitigate sore feet, and some people keep an extra pair of comfortable shoes in the office for when they’re standing to work. Standing in high heels all day is probably not the best option.
Don’t feel pressured
If you feel tired or fatigued when standing up to work, sit down and rest your legs. If you’ve been standing in the same position for a while, it might help to go for a quick stroll. Changing postures or going for a walk allows your body to release muscle tension after you’ve been in a static sitting or standing posture.
You don’t have to stand alone
Get your colleagues involved and normalise standing in your workplace. Together, you can build a work environment that supports its staff members to stand up at work.
This article was sourced from the stand@work study and the Conversation.
Have you tried a standing work station? Leave a comment.