2016

12 Shocking Things Your Office Desk Job is Doing to You

12 Shocking Things Your Office Desk Job is Doing to You
[caption id="attachment_22557" align="alignright" width="350"]In the US, and adult spends on average, nine to 10 hours each day sitting.In the US, and adult spends on average, nine to 10 hours each day sitting.[/caption]

Your job could be killing you.

You spend hours upon hours hunched over your keyboard. It’s work after all.

But what you may not know, is that by sitting for long periods of time is linked to a number of health concerns.

Think about it.

You're sitting a lot! While you're eating, at work, when you’re driving to and from places and even a good amount of leisure time is spent sitting and surfing a screen.

In today’s time, it is common and often necessary to be working in environments where we need to be stationary.

But, have you stopped and thought about what it is costing your health in the long-term.

What am I talking about?

You’ve probably heard the saying “ sitting is the new smoking ”. Latest research shows that those who spend their days sitting, are more likely to gain weight and inflict permanent damage to their bodies .

In the US, and adult spends on average, nine to 10 hours each day sitting. Developed countries would expect similar results.

It’s more than just weight gain though. Sitting on the computer for hours at a time has been linked to a number of health concerns. This includes obesity and metabolic syndrome.

To break it down further, research shows sitting for long periods to be linked with increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Studies also show the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer also increases in those who sit for long periods.

12 Health Risks You Face while Sitting at Work All Day, Every Day


1. Heart disease


Sitting for long periods means your muscles burn less fat and blood flows more slowly, allowing fatty acids to clog the heart more easily. One study showed that women who sit for 10 hours or more a day may have a much greater risk of developing heart disease than those who sit for five hours or less.

[caption id="attachment_22555" align="aligncenter" width="1137"] Health risks associated with sitting too much Just a few of the common health issues faced when we spend too much time sitting and not enough time moving.[/caption]

2. Overproductive pancreas


Sitting for extended periods can lead to diabetes. How? Your muscles don’t respond as readily to insulin if you are not active. Therefore your pancreas produces increased amounts of insulin to compensate. This increased production of insulin can lead to diabetes and other diseases.

One study found that those who sat for the longest periods of time were twice as likely to have diabetes or heart disease than those who sat the least.

Another study has shown that sitting for eight hours a day to be associated with a 90 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

3. Colon cancer


While the mechanism isn’t yet clear, sitting for extended periods of time may increase your risk of colon, breast and endometrial cancers.

This may be due to your body producing extra insulin which encourages cell growth. Not only that, but lack of regular movement means your body produces less antioxidants in your body that may be potentially eliminating cancer causing free radicals.

It’s not only colon cancer though. According to one study , sitting for long periods of time also increases chances of:

  • Lung cancer by 54 percent

  • Uterine cancer by 66 percent

  • Colon cancer by 30 percent


It’s thought that the weight gain associated with sitting leads to biochemical changes such as changes in hormones, metabolic dysfunction, leptin dysfunction and inflammation. These all promote cancer.

4. Digestion


When you eat and then sit down, your digestion slows down. Sitting causes your abdominal contents to compress.

The sluggish digestion can lead to cramping, bloating heartburn and constipation.

So the next time you have a big meal, think twice before sitting down. You’ll be leaving yourself open to discomfort! Instead, go for a walk.

5. Weak Abs


When your standing, you are using your abdominal muscles to keep you stable and upright. You may not even notice, but your abdominal muscles are being used.

Sitting down however, leaves your abdominal muscles mostly unused. In turn, your abdominal muscles are weaker, ultimately leading to muscle imbalances caused by overcompensation from other muscles.

[box type="info" align="aligncenter" class="" width=""]

Get THIS BOOK!

deskbound

Sitting can wreak havoc on your health, and not just in the form of minor aches and pains. Recent studies show that too much sitting contributes to a host of diseases—from obesity and diabetes to cancer and depression. The typical seated office worker suffers from more musculoskeletal injuries than those workers who do daily manual labor. It turns out that sitting is as much an occupational risk as is lifting heavy weights on the job. The facts are in: sitting literally shortens your life. Your chair is your enemy, and it is murdering your body.

https://youtu.be/ZzjafkEVDJQ

In this groundbreaking new book, Dr. Kelly Starrett—renowned physical therapist and author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Becoming a Supple Leopard—unveils a detailed battle plan for surviving our chair-centric society. Deskbound provides creative solutions for reducing the amount of time you spend perched on your backside, as well as strategies for transforming your desk into a dynamic, active workstation that can improve your life.

You will learn how to:

  • Easily identify and fix toxic body positions

  • Eradicate back, neck, and shoulder pain

  • Mitigate carpel tunnel syndrome forever

  • Organize and stabilize your spine and trunk

  • Walk, hinge, squat, and carry with peak skill

  • Perform daily body maintenance work using 14 mobility templates for resolving pain and increasing range of motion


Whether your goal is to maximize your performance in or out of the workplace, lose weight, or simply live pain-free, Deskbound will work for you. It is a revolutionary cure for death-by-desk.

[/box]

This can present itself in many ways. Poor posture, aches and pains over the body, stiff neck and sore muscles.

6. Tight hips and Glutes


How flexible are you? Are you able to sit and reach your toes easily?

For many of us, this is in fact harder than you think.

Prolonged sitting leads to decreased mobility and range of motion, especially in your hips and glutes. When you sit, your hips become tightened and your glutes become weakened.

Decreased hip mobility is a leading cause of falls in the elderly, while weak glutes affects your stability and the power of your strides when walking and jumping.

7. Poor Circulation in Legs


When you sit down for long periods of time, blood flow slows down and disrupts circulation in your legs. This can then lead to swollen ankles and varicose veins (enlarged veins), or even worse, deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

DVT is the formation of blood clots in the legs and may cause pain, swelling and are even potentially life threatening.

This is why you probably noticed long flights suggest passengers to stretch their legs and exercise and even go for regular short walks to prevent DVT from occurring.

8. Soft bones


Osteoporosis has been partly attributed to lack of activity, particularly weight-bearing activities such as walking and running.

Studies have shown these activities lead to increased bone mineral density.

So if you spend most of the day sitting, you’re missing out on the benefits of weight-bearing activities such as walking and running.

The aging process naturally chips away at your bone mineral density, but you’re not doing yourself any favors either by sitting down all day.

On it’s own, osteoporosis causes no specific pain or symptoms. But it does increase the risk of serious or debilitating fractures.

9. Inflexible Spine


When we sit for long periods of time, the discs in our back become squashed unevenly. Collagen hardens around the tendons and ligaments, leaving us at risk for herniated lumbar discs, or in layman's terms “slipped disc”.

10. Disc damage


Disc issues from sitting too much Normally, if you were walking and active throughout the day, the soft discs between your vertebrae expand and contract. Think of it like sponges.

As they expand and contract, they soak up fresh blood and nutrients.

Sitting for long periods however, prevents this from happening. Not only that, but your upper lumbar spine is pulled forward due to tightening of a muscle called the psoas.

It is estimated that 40 percent of people with back pain have spent long hours at their computer each day!

11. Strained neck


Sitting in front of a computer all day with poor posture can lead to strains along your cervical vertebrae as well as permanent imbalances.

12. Sore shoulders


Your neck as well as your shoulders suffer from sitting for long periods of time slouched in front of your computer.

Slouching over-extends shoulder and back muscles. Your trapezius muscles in particular, which connects your neck and shoulder are overextended leading to sore shoulders and upper back.

So what is the solution to sitting too much at work all day?


There is no denying the health risks that comes with sitting for long periods of time.

But it doesn’t need to be that way.

You could still be just as productive without sitting for hours on end in front of a computer screen. Indeed, having an active balanced lifestyle is the best way to live a healthy life.

I want to share with you practical tips you can start implementing today, to prevent and minimize the health risks associated with sitting for long periods of time.

12 Tips to Save your Back from Sitting All Day


Tip #1. Have regular breaks

Be sure to have regular breaks at timed intervals. You should not sit down for extended periods of time without a break. Now I know you want to get that article published, but take regular breaks.

Have you heard of the pomodoro technique ?

How to use a tomato timer to get fit at work

Use the pomodoro technique to get laser focused work done for a timed interval and then go for a walk/stretch during your break.

This is a powerful productivity technique you can start using today. What makes it so good, is that you force yourself to work for a certain time AND have a break.

During the break you should get up and go for a walk or do some quick exercises.
Tip #2. It’s all about ergonomics

Getting yourself a good chair is one thing, but sitting correctly is another.

You should sit in an upright position with your bottom positioned all the way to the back of the chair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeDUCXfzl6U

Don’t make the common mistake of sitting on the edge of your chair.

Also keep your back against the spine of the chair and do not slouch. Slouching leads to back and neck problems as we discussed earlier.

While working, support a good posture and set up your monitor to be at eye level. Your head should tilt neither up nor down but should stay in a neutral position. This alone can eliminate a sore neck caused by sitting in front of a computer all day.
Tip #3. Exercise regularly

I get it.

You may not be able to avoid sitting. Your job may need that you sit in front of a computer.

But you can reverse the damage caused by sitting for extended periods of time via exercise.

If there is one point you take away after reading this article it should be to exercise regularly.

Regular exercise can counteract the effects of prolonged sitting. Don’t just do any exercise though.

Try strength training.

Click here to see instructional videos for each of the exercises contained within this workout plan.

The benefits of strength training are amazing. In fact, I recommend strength training to all my clients.

You could reap the rewards of hours upon hours of cardio (running on a treadmill) only by doing a few hours of strength training.

You don’t even need to go to the gym. You could do a strength training circuit in only half an hour during your lunch break as I recommend in my free home/office workout.

It really is that simple.

What are you waiting for? Get moving!
Tip #4. Set out time for fun

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"

Know when to stop and have a rest. Set out time on your calendar for leisure activities. You'll find that just by setting out time for activities, your productivity will increase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQupiauyZYE

In his book “The Now Habit”, author Neil Fiore recommends scheduling time for fun activities into your calendar. He recommends you do this before filling your calendar with the “important stuff”.

What this does, is that it forces you to recognize the real time you really have available throughout the day.

If you are unable to complete all scheduled work within that week, you cut certain leisure activities from your calendar.

You see, leisure and relaxation time should not be taken from what’s left over. It shouldn't be taken from what time you have left after a long day of work.

Rather, by scheduling in time for fun activities, you end procrastination by keeping work periods shorter, and rewards more frequent and immediate.

This makes you more productive as at work, and at the same time keeps you more active.

[caption id="attachment_22564" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Sitting all day adds up... Sitting all day adds up...[/caption]
Tip #5. Don’t be lazy at work

While it might be a lot easier to send a coworker an email or text them, just don’t do it. Don't be lazy.

Instead, get up, walk across the hall and talk to them!

Force yourself to be active by taking regular walks throughout the day.
stairs vs escalator Tip #6. Take the stairs

Get into the habit of walking for the sake of walking. While everyone else is thinking “why take the elevator when you can take the stairs”, you do the opposite.

Force yourself to take the stairs when it is reasonable to do so. This deliberate intention to fit in extra physical exertion throughout the day is known as incidental activity.

And you want to increase incidental activity, even it means taking a few extra stairs.
Tip #7. Park your car further away from the entrance

When you go out for a drive to shopping or work, try parking further away.

This is good for two reasons:

  1. It forces you to increase incidental activity

  2. Parking suddenly becomes much easier (most people try park as close as possible to shops etc)


So you’ll be hitting two birds with one stone.
Tip #8. Take a longer, roundabout way to your desk

When you go for a break or leave your desk, try returning to your desk by taking a longer route if possible.

Again, the idea is to increase incidental activity in any way possible. It all adds up.
Tip #9. Arrange your workplace differently

If you’re sitting behind your desk with everything within arms reach, chances are that you won’t be getting up often.

[caption id="attachment_22568" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Does your workplace have a gym? Check out this picture from Hootsuite's offices! Wow! Does your workplace have a gym? Check out this picture from Hootsuite's offices! Wow![/caption]

But if you rearrange the layout of your office space in such a way that you have to sit up to reach things like the phone, your printer and files, you force yourself to get up throughout the day.
Tip #10. Use a chair without an armrest

Sitting in a big comfy chairs makes getting up almost impossible.

It’s like once you sit, you drown in the chair’s comfort.



Sure, a good comfy chair is important, but when it gets too comfortable the overall harm outweighs the benefits.

By switching over to a chair without armrest, you force yourself to sit uprights and encourage yourself to shift more often than a cushy office chair.
Tip #11. Set up timers

Set a timer to remind you to stand up and move about for at least 10 minutes each hour. You can take the opportunity to do a few simple exercises by your desk.
Tip #12. Use a standing workstation

You’ve probably heard about standing workstations before. Many companies are now shifting towards standing workstations for their employees to cut the health risks of sitting for long periods of time.

Varidesk Review Take a stand at work

Try bringing it up with your boss to see if you can switch to a standing workstation.

Stand more, sit less. Here are just   3 benefits of standing :

  1. Standing burns more calories and helps you to lose your unwanted body fat. A person burns at least 50 calories more in an hour than when sitting. As a result, four hours of standing a day alone helps you burn a whopping 200 calories a day, which translates into 6000 calories burned a month or around a kg (2.2 lb) of body fat.

  2. Standing improves your cognitive functions. A recent study conducted by the Texas A&M Health Science Centre School of Public Health indicates that students who worked while standing most of the time were able to manage their time effectively, memorize facts easily, understand what they read better, solve multi-step problems, and organize their thoughts in writing better than those who worked sitting.

  3. Standing improves your mood and vitality. In a seven-week study, researchers in Minneapolis, USA wanted to test whether using a standing desk improves employees’ health. They found out that standing employees reported being more energetic, happier, and having better mood and that upper back and neck pain was reduced by 54%. These results reverted back to the baseline once the employees returned to sitting.


Conclusion

It is clear, sitting for long periods is harmful.

Although your desk job may need you to put in the hours in front of a screen, there are many ways you can prevent the health risks of sitting for too long.

One of the best ways, is to take frequent breaks away from your desk and do a few short exercises.

You can get a free copy of my worksheet “A Quick 20 Minute Workout for Home or the Office” here.

Go on!

Sit less, stand more!

[divider style="dashed" top="15" bottom="15"]
waseemAuthor Bio: Waseem Khan

Waseem Khan is an Exercise Physiologist and founder of The Better Yoo . If you want to become a better version of yourself, be sure to check out his website. As a bonus, download your free copy of " The Only 3 Things You Need to Finally Get Fit ". Follow Waseem on his Blog , Twitter or email at waseem@thebetteryoo.com

Waseem helps people get into the best shape of their lives, look good, and feel amazing. If you want to learn how to get that lean body you've always wanted using only three apps, be sure to grab your free bonus.

[divider style="dashed" top="15" bottom="15"]
Share by: