Health Concerns For Sitting At Work To Long

In recent years, researchers have linked too much sitting to back pain, repetitive stress injuries, obesity, and even an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. This includes sitting down at work for long shifts, or spending an excessive amount of time watching television.

Studies show that sitting for hours at a time is harmful to the body, regardless of a person’s calorie intake, carbohydrate intake, or physical activity. Researchers believe that the muscles that are not active loose the ability to metabolize fats and sugars, as efficiently as they should. This introduces risks of high cholesterol and diabetes.

Exercising everyday can defiantly keep you in shape, but you shouldn’t rely on exercising for an hour a day to cut down your health risks. It is recommended to pack more breaks throughout the day to stretch and walk around.5-10 minutes at a time can protect you from these health risks at work. In addition to staying active at work and away from work, practicing good posture will keep you away from stress and strain.Having a comfortable chair as well is very significant to keep your neck and back in good shape.

D. Julie Côte Ph.D., is a professor of kinesiology and physical education at McGill University, in Montreal. She studies workplace-related musculoskeletal disorders. Côté recommends exercising programs that promotes body awareness and better posture.

She said,  “One seven-week program is not going to cure you forever. Even if you cross your leg while you’re sitting in the chair and lean forward, that’s a hip opener; that’s what you go to yoga class for. No one is saying that you have to sit glued in your chair. You can cross a leg, you can spinal twist, you can stretch your calf, you can stand up.”

“As long as you have a way to get your body into multiple positions throughout your workday, that’s really the solution that you should be looking for,” says Katy Bowman, an expert on biomechanics and the director of the Restorative Exercise Institute.