How Long do you Spend Sitting?
We spend an average of up to 12 hours a day sitting. You might think this doesn’t apply to you or you may sit even longer, however, most of us sit more than we should.
On average, we spend more than 85% of our time in the office sitting down. In Scandinavia, they’ve realized the positive effects sit-stand desks offer - 80% of office workers are using them. In Denmark, it is expected for an employer to offer sit-stand desks.
Although most would agree that adjusting between sitting and standing would benefit most of us, while only 1% in the UK have access to height adjustable desks as an example.
Sources:
Calorie Burner: How much better is standing up than sitting? BBC News Magazine, 2013.
GetBritainStanding.org
The Effects of Prolonged Sitting
Research, which has recently been highlighted in the media, has shown the negative impact of prolonged sitting including increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. Many are skeptical to believe this despite the evidence.
However, it's undeniable that sitting at a desk throughout the day leads to aches and pains. These are most often musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which includes back, neck and shoulder pain.
A recent survey from YouGov identified half (49%) of the respondents blame poorly designed workstations as the cause of health problems such as back pain and strain, while almost as many (44%) identified office chairs as a cause.
Sources:
Are You Sitting Comfortably At Your Workstation? 2014, Charted Institute of Personnel and Development
Poorly designed offices take a slice out of GCC business profits, YouGov, 2014
