If you work in an office environment, there is a good chance that most of your workday involves sitting at your work desk. In fact, according to British Psychological Society, people spend an average of 5 hours and 41 minutes per day sitting at their desk. Once you factor in commutes, television, and more – people are sitting long enough that it begins to negatively impact their health.
Nearly 70% of employees surveyed did not meet recommended guidelines for physical activity.
Employees who sit for longer at work are more likely to sit outside of work.
There is a correlation between BMI scores and sitting time at work, as one would expect.
That more time spent sitting at work was associated with a decrease in mental well-being.
Chronic sitting has been associated with serious health consequences like weight gain, back pain, diabetes and heart disease.
All hope is not lost, however, here are a few tips to help get you through a sedentary job:
Set an hourly alarm on your phone: Set your cellphone to remind you to get up for a few minutes to rise, stretch, and move around every hour. Figure out ways to work this in to your work schedule, for photo copies, breaks, or other office tasks.
Learn how to exercise at your desk: There are many exercises that can be done in your chair. Try watching our YouTube video series “Exercise at your Desk” that features exercises for your lower back, stomach, hips, and overall core.
In Conclusion Now that you know the risks of too much sitting, remain proactive in your workday and get up every hour to move around. If you’re able to exercise on your breaks, even better. Additionally, you may want to consider contacting an ergonomics expert to assess your work environment.
As always, be sure to share these tips with your workers or employees and for more guidance on all work related health and safety issues, visit SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more detailed information.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics consultants located in Washington State, Northern California, Oregon, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and Portland.
Watch Solutions Northwest Inc.’s Ergonomics Exercises video series:
“Exercise at Your Desk: Foot Exercises” by clicking on the image above or visiting our YouTube channel.
After watching the video, try reading one of our Related Blog posts about foot pain in the office or at the workplace:
Sore feet from heels? Tips to survive wearing high heels at work:
High heels are “Sitting Shoes” Don’t worry, this is not an ergonomics lecture on the risks of wearing high heels. We are not even going to tell you to stop wearing them. Instead, let’s think of them in a different way. High heels are sitting shoes.
Heel height and comfort in the work place If you are going to be doing a lot of walking or standing, a 1″ heel is about as high as most doctors will recommend. If you are planning on wearing heels higher than 1″, it’s a good idea to have an extra pair of lower heeled shoes with you. Having a pair of low heeled shoes in your desk drawer or in a shoe box under your desk will work.
Ergonomics tips for your work station set up It’s important to make sure your keyboard surface height, chair height, and monitor height are always correct.
If you wear different heel heights on different days or sometimes don’t wear heels at all, a quick way to adjust your workstation is to set the workstation up for when you are wearing heels and use a footrest for when you wear flats. That way your legs won’t dangle when you are wearing flats.
Tips for height adjustable desk work If you use a height adjustable desk it’s recommended to wear a 1″ or lower heeled pair of shoes with a blockier heel while using the desk standing. Stillettos are harder on your body and will also negatively affect your ability to balance. It is an option to wear heels while sitting at your desk and then switch to a lower heeled pair of shoes when standing at your desk.
Be sure to share these tips with the rest office workers or employees. For more guidance on all work related health and safety issues, visit SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more information.
Be sure to subscribe to our blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics consultants located in Washington State, Northern California, Oregon, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and Portland.
Produced by: Solutions Northwest, Inc. (Ergonomics Experts serving Washington, Oregon, and California)
“65% of American workers say they eat at their desk or don’t take a lunch break at all.”– Right Management Human Resources Survey
In an era of multi-tasking at work, it may be tempting to “save time” by eating alone at your desk or in your office. But is it really more efficient to eat alone at your office desk or is it a bad habit?
If you eat at your desk, you are not alone. Studies show that 65% of American workers eat at their desk or skip it altogether, that means only 1 in 3 workers take an uninterrupted lunch at their job.
3 reasons why you should avoid eating your lunch alone at your desk:
1) Eating lunch with co-workers is a networking opportunity. Eating can be a social activity and one you can share with your co-workers or staff on the job. Connecting with your fellow employees could help you get that job promotion in the future or stay in the mind of others for other work opportunities.
If you must work while you eat, consider scheduling the lunch with your co-workers in advance, so that you can all work and eat together.
2) Social Isolation is bad for your health. People with strong social relationships may increase their odds of a longer life by as much as 50% according to plosmedicine. Being isolated or alone could negatively affect your health, leading to “compromised immunity and inflammation, heart disease, and other chronic issues.” National Institute on Aging
3) Uninterrupted meal breaks are a great way to reset the workday. According to Lyle Sussman of the University of Louisville, “taking an uninterrupted meal break is healthy, increases job efficiency and improves morale.” Increased job efficiency and a healthier you will not only be good your personal health, but for the company itself. After your uninterrupted lunchbreak, you will feel refreshed and be able to finish the workday out without feeling so overwhelmed and stressed out.
In Conclusion
Being unhealthy in the workplace can lead to loss of focus, which could lead to errors or injury at the work place. As ergonomics experts, Solutions Northwest wants to make sure your workplace remains a safe and healthy environment for all. Be sure to share these tips with the rest office workers or employees. For more guidance on all work related health and safety issues, visit SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more information.
Be sure to subscribe to our blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics consultants located in Washington State, Northern California, Oregon, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and Portland.
Watch Solutions Northwest Inc.’s Ergonomics Exercises video:
“Exercise at Your Desk: Low Back and Core Exercises” by clicking on the image above or visiting our YouTube channel.
Related: Poor ergonomics or frequent sitting causing low back pain?
The modern job often requires us to sit at a desk or hunch over a device (sometimes these offices have poorly executed ergonomics planning), which has lead to an increase of back pain caused by the workplace. If you are experiencing back pain at work, this video will provide some exercises that may provide both relief and strength training for your chest and back.
Remember to listen to your body while at work. Try some tips from our previous blog: Don’t overwork yourself.
According to BYLLP, the Top 5 Work Related Injuries are caused by: Overexertion, Slip and Fall Injuries, Equipment Injury, Motor Vehicle Injury, and Repetitive Motion Injuries.
Our clients at SolutionsNW.com frequently tell us they’ve developed musculoskeletal disorders by pushing themselves too hard. Commonly, the injury is from repetitive motion related to work tasks. Repetitive tasks require us to do the same movements over and over again. It especially becomes a problem when we ignore our body’s warning signals of pain.
Listen to your body.
Our body starts sending stronger and stronger warning signals until we finally pay attention. When we start paying attention we regret letting the pain get to the point it is at.
This is why we need to pay attention to our bodies. Our health should be our number one priority because without it we have nothing. A lot of times we cannot physically do as much as we want to or feel we have to.
We just have to find a way to be at peace with that. Things we want to accomplish will get done eventually, it may just take longer than we would like.
Try some tips from our Ergonomics Blog whenever you’re feeling a little overworked:
