Health experts say the sedentary nature of modern people’s lives is putting us at greater risk of serious disease. Sitting has even been dubbed “the new smoking” by some.
While even regular exercise isn’t enough to counter the effects, there are things you can do to stay healthy.
At the Vancouver office of digital marketing company 6S, staff use a treadmill desk to get moving while working.
Phil Caines, who sits at his computer for up to nine hours a day, says using the desk is an easy way to incorporate exercise into the work day.
“You definitely can't go too quickly or else you're not able to type as fast but once you get used to it its actually pretty refreshing,” he said.
The desk can be booked just like a meeting room by workers who want a little time away from their chairs.
Managing director John Blown said the desk has been a boost, allowing workers to be productive and healthy at the same time.
The office also boasts a hydraulic lift desk that provides an alternative to sitting. It raises and lowers on a lift, meaning the user can sit or stand depending on how they feel.
Employee Alex Morrison said having the option of standing has become more important because of her pregnancy.
“Being able to … have that range of motion without having to get up and leave your desk constantly has been a huge help,” she said.
Research into the effectiveness of standing and treadmill desks is still in its early days, but even if this kind of change isn't an option at your workplace there are other steps people can take to keep sitting from hurting their health.
Physiotherapist Stacy Benmore sees problems with patients who have been sitting at work anywhere from five to seven hours a day, including back pain to stiffness and soreness.
Benmore said long bouts of sitting increases the compression that goes through the spine as a whole, but especially the lumbar, in the lower part of the back.
She advises patients to get up and move around even if it’s just for a few minutes in the day.
“The good news [is that] the body responds positively to interruptions in sitting even if they're small,” she said.
“What I try and suggest to people is at least four times an hour. If I say four times my hope is that you'll get up at least three.”
Dr. John Carsley, Chief Medical Health Officer for Vancouver Coastal Health, said he expects equipment like treadmill and hydraulic desks to become more commonplace as the effects of sedentary lifestyles become more apparent.
“I think as time goes on we're going to see the price of those things go down,” he said. “I would say in a few years a standard part of every office desk is adjustability.”
Whether your desk moves or you do, the best advice appears to be break up the sedentary routine as much as possible and keep sitting from dominating your day.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Maria Weisgarber
