Do you know that sitting is the new smoking? People worldwide spend a significant amount of time sitting in their offices, driving their cars, eating lunch, watching television, studying. Sitting for excessively long periods of time is disadvantageous to our health.

When most of the jobs require sitting, people frequently wonder how to cut down on their sitting time. As an office worker, you often spend 8-9 hours every day sitting in one place, sending emails, talking on the phone with coworkers and clients, and working on other chores.

Sitting for a long time in one position--this often happens on office workers who need to sit in front of the screen for several hours. It is impossible for us to cut the work hours as we are working for the employers, but we do can reduce our sitting time while working by taking some easy measures instead.

How does sitting too much at work affect your health?

Just as mentioned above, sitting is the new smoking, that is, sitting is as bad as smoking. A 2011 study documented 800,000 people and their sitting habits,  which found that people who sit the most, compared to people who sit the least, have a greater risk of disease and death:

• 112% increased risk of diabetes.
• 147% increased risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke.
• 90% increased risk of death from cardiovascular events.
• 49% increased risk of death from any cause.

           Table 1 Percentage risk increased by sitting too much

Obesity is the most common side effect of sitting for prolonged periods. You gain weight and become sluggish in your work. Obesity is terrible for your health in and of itself, but it also puts you at risk for diabetes, heart, and cholesterol problems, and even some types of cancer.

According to a research conducted ini London, those who engaged in low levels of exercise had an 8% rate of obesity, as compared to those who engaged in moderate to vigorous exercise, who had a 4.8% rate of obesity (defined at 4.25 hours per week). After 10 years, the rates were 6.9% for the active group, and 11.9% for the sedentary group. High levels of exercise were associated with a 36% reduced risk of obesity after 5 years, and 37% after 10 years. 

We understand that as a full-time office worker, you are probably wondering about how to avoid sitting at your desk all day. As a result, we have included some simple recommendations below that you can use to cut down on your workplace sitting time.

1. Alternate sitting and standing with a standing desk

The idea of having an adjustable standing desk has acquired a lot of popularity since the studies opposing prolonged sitting became prominent. If you know how to utilize a standing desk properly, you can get the most out of it.

Our assists you in improving your posture by allowing you to adjust the height of your desk to match your position. Having one will allow you to work comfortably while standing.

As a result, standing workstations are becoming increasingly common in this working-from-home era. These workstations allow you to stand while you work. They are very compact and may easily fit into your living area.

Make room for a standing desk workstation by clearing some space. An adjustable desk is a wonderful alternative if you are looking for a standing desk. The Adjustable Standing Desk EHD101 is available.

2. Establish a sitting time limit

It is always a good idea to divide your time between sitting and standing. In this case, applications like the Pomodoro timer can be helpful. This kind of timer will assist you in determining how much time you should spend sitting and standing at your office. 

This intermittent standing behavior will be more accessible if you have a standing desk because your posture will not be impacted when you change your upright position.

3. Make active sitting a habit

Any office worker needs a solid ergonomic chair owing to the fact that ergonomic office chairs can provide comfort and allow you to change the chair's height. To stay more active at work,you can also consider obtaining something like a gymnasium ball, any other slightly unstable seat, or a standing stool as this type of seating surface works most of your core muscles, keeping you active and engaged.

References

https://www.startstanding.org/obesity/#is

https://theheartfoundation.org/2019/08/10/is-sitting-the-new-smoking/