Sitting all day at your desks makes you sleepy too!
Sitting may feel comfortable, but unbeknownst to many, it is an unnatural position for the human body. Over time, it disrupts or cuts the blood flow to our legs and feet, while causing our spine to contort over time. Like insufficient sleep and smoking, the effects are irreversible. You can’t compensate sitting too much by exercising a lot.
As more studies reveal the harmful effects of sitting too long (apart from spinal abnormality, it also increases the risk of cardiovascular problems and diabetes), more offices, specifically in the US, are making efforts to incorporate standing in desk jobs. This concept is already in frequent practice by the Japanese, who not only stand for their jobs, but also when eating at stand-up eateries.
Perhaps you may balk at the thought of standing while working. We're so accustomed to associating sitting with comfort that if we were to stand for a long time, we might feel the aches and pains coming. But the key is not to stand in the same position all day long – that is just as bad as sitting and can cause joint pains and varicose veins and a myriad of other problems due to putting too much pressure on your legs. To benefit from standing, you must keep up a flow of small but continuous movements, and changing positions every now and then. Take care to adopt the right posture; don't slouch or hunch your back, and even out your weight on both feet rather than put more support on the stronger leg. Wearing comfortable shoes with no or low heels goes without saying.
Those who have tried standing at work indicate that initial aches and pains are part of the adapting process. Don't be afraid to plop down into a chair if it's too much for you in the initial stage. In fact, you should slowly ease yourself into it, by starting with a short amount of standing time, and then slowly increase the amount of time you spend standing without rest, Cushioning is also another key to comfortable standing - wear well cushioned shoes, and you might want to consider getting an anti-fatigue cushion mat if the floor at your workplace is hard.
Once you get used to standing while working, which may take days for some to weeks for most who are already used to a sedentary lifestyle, the discomfort would be absent, or take longer to show up. Ask any home maker and they'd tell you that they too stand for a long time to do their household chores. Standing itself isn't much of a chore if you do it right.
It is not by any means easy to adopt a culture of standing; there are standing desks for the office, but all office paraphernalia would have to be accordingly adjusted to ensure a comfortable position working while standing. Resting facilities would also have to be provided as it is quite impossible to stand all day at work without feeling fatigued. On the bright side, you'd burn more calories than if you were sitting. Notably, exceptions must be made for the elderly, pregnant, the obese and those with disabilities and health problems that makes standing strenuous or impossible for them.
Even as standing offices are being discussed on the radio programme a few mornings ago, it may take a long time for the concept to be embraced in Singapore. In the meantime, don’t let that confine you to your office chair. Stand up every half an hour, jiggle your feet and stretch to ensure healthy blood circulation. Share the news and encourage your colleagues to do the same if they give you the side eye. Remember, only you, not your office, nor your colleagues, have the right to change and dictate your lifestyle.
Sources: http://lifehacker.com/5881393/one-year-at-my-standing-desk
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/standing-up-at-your-desk-may-energize-you-but-it-also-may-be-tough-on-your-legs/2013/11/22/4d166d9a-0f46-11e3-8cdd-bcdc09410972_story.html
http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2012/07/16/what-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-standing-desks/
0 comments: