Maybe you already know that sitting is bad for you, but maybe it would surprise you to hear that the World Health Organization identified insufficient physical inactivity as one of the ten leading risk factors for death worldwide. For the average American office worker, sitting is a way of life. You sit in the car on your way to work, sit at work, sit at lunch, sit as you drive home and probably sit at home. Even an hour at the gym every day isn’t enough to alleviate the terrible health effects of prolonged sitting (8 to 12 hours), which can be as bad for you as smoking, according to a study published by PLOS Medicine. Another study by PLOS even showed that prolonged sitting raises the risk of type 2 diabetes by 90 percent.
“People who sit more than six hours a day have increased obesity, increased blood pressure, increased blood glucose levels, diabetes, increased cholesterol levels, and increased risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer,” explained Dr. Dolores Miller- Sellers, a physical therapist and professor at Florida Gateway College in Lake City, Florida.
Between the economy shifting from manufacturing to service and the increased awareness of how bad sitting is for health, a new trend in office equipment has emerged. Unique exercise desks and chairs have developed to combat the stagnant office lifestyle.
The Bicycle Desk and the Treadmill Desk
The bicycle desk and the treadmill desk both give a person the ability to work out while they work. The treadmill can reduce sitting time, though the head-bobbing from walking can make it difficult to focus. The bicycle desk has greater stability, but sitting on a bicycle seat all day may not be worth it.
“The seat would have to be adapted for each person,” Miller-Sellers said. “If it doesn’t support the back properly, it will result in back pain.”
For someone who can’t have such a large piece of equipment in the office, under-the-desk elliptical machines and mini-treadmills are available.
“I can pedal under my desk or move the desk to the standing position and get a full-on elliptical workout,” explained Kim Anchors, an employee at SharpSpring who uses an elliptical, yoga ball and standing desk in her office. “I’ve found the ability to change positions all day and keep your body moving is healthier for my body and my mind.”
The Standing Desk
Cutting down on sitting time is the most important thing for the average worker’s health. Although added exercise on a bicycle or treadmill desk is an obvious benefit, it can make it hard to work.
“I think a standing desk is very appropriate,” said Miller-Sellers. The “Take-a-Stand Project” study conducted in 2011 found that reducing sitting time by 66 minutes a day alleviated neck and back pain by 54 percent, added Miller-Sellers. Standing also has the added benefits of strengthening the spine and boosting metabolism and concentration.
“Having your desk set up ergonomically correct is important, but you are still sitting,” Anchors said. “I change it up all day by standing, sitting or balancing on the yoga ball.”
The only reported downside of a standing desk is that standing for long periods of time when a person is accustomed to sitting can stress the body. Many professionals advise that a worker alternate between sitting and standing.
A Yoga Ball Chair
It’s not just desks that are being designed for a healthy office. Yoga ball chairs were a popular trend in offices and schools a few years ago, but Miller-Sellers said studies found that the benefits weren’t significant. She did suggest that a yoga ball chair can be alternated with an ergonomically correct desk chair to strengthen back muscles and reduce pain.
While sitting in a typical desk chair, the chair does all the work to support your back. “On the yoga ball, you have to do that yourself. But if you sit on it for long periods of time, it puts stress on the spine, increases back pain and probably leads to poor posture,” explained Miller-Sellers.
Anchors uses the yoga ball to stretch and do small exercises at her desk, including stretching out her back, balancing and doing crunches. For people who can’t upgrade their office equipment, Miller- Sellers suggested chair pushups, desk pushups, aerobics and even carrying weights to the office. Cautioned Miller- Sellers: “The employer has to be okay with that kind of thing, but anything you can do to reduce your sitting time would have a positive effect on your spine, your health and your weight.”
PAXTON SELLERS is a recent college graduate and a Gainesville native. By day, she’s an aspiring journalist and editor. By night, she works on her Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification and perfecting her macaroon recipe.