Experts have been talking about a new widespread disease for quite some time: back pain caused by too much sitting. In the meantime, the topic has found its way from specialist journals into entertainment media. For example, the cabaret artist, TV presenter, and doctor Eckart von Hirschhausen recently stated in "Gala" that he considers sitting to be the new smoking. A book of the same name, written by Dr. Kelly Starrett, is becoming a bestseller, while a study by the Mayo Clinic at Arizona State University found that every hour of sitting reduces life expectancy by 22 minutes. In short: awareness of healthy working posture is increasing - at the same time, manufacturers of height-adjustable desks are seeing rising demand. In fact, these pieces of furniture can help save harmful hours of sitting.
- A life spent sitting
- The consequences for the body
- Many possible solutions
- More compensatory movement plus less sitting equals a solution
- The evolution from classic desk to standing desk
- How does a standing desk work?
- A step towards healthy work
Comparing various studies reveals that the popular motto "sitting is the new smoking" isn't actually true. It should actually be "sitting is more dangerous than smoking" - were it not for the fact that this would downplay tobacco consumption. However, in terms of its impact on life expectancy, it is true: according to one study, every cigarette shortens life by eleven minutes, while an hour of sitting now shortens life by 22 minutes. So, just two fewer cigarettes per hour of work and health is taken care of? It's not that simple.
A life spent sitting
Around 17 million people in Germany spend their working day in an office chair. This is according to a recent study by the Allgemeine Ortskrankenkassen (AOK). In addition, there are professions that do without a desk but not without sitting: drivers in freight forwarding or passenger transport know the problem just as well as specialists in retail. Furthermore, numerous craft professions are increasingly using computers, and the field of activity is constantly shifting from the workbench to the desk. According to the AOK, the number of these "sitters" amounts to several million - not even counting students, apprentices, and schoolchildren.
In short: constant sitting and its negative consequences definitely affect a large part of the German population. To grasp the extent of the problem, most people only need to take a critical look at their typical working day. Most will realize that they don't just sit at work, university, or behind the wheel - but also spend a large part of their free time on their bottoms.
The following hypothetical example should therefore be very close to the everyday life of many Germans: After showering, there is breakfast at the table, the daily newspaper in the armchair, and the journey to work takes place in the driver's seat or train compartment. Even before work begins, the kilometers walked can usually be counted on one hand. The great sitting in the office is followed by the journey home sitting, dinner or movie night on the couch, at the computer, or with the tablet on the sofa.
Even throughout life, people are constantly sitting: where movement is encouraged and even demanded in kindergarten, children are mostly condemned to sit still from the first day of school until graduation. Apprenticeships or studies also mainly take place in chairs, as does the subsequent professional life. When retirement begins, there would theoretically be time and space for movement again, but by then it is usually already too late.
The consequences for the body
Scientists and occupational physicians agree: we can hardly inflict anything worse on our bodies than prolonged sitting. Apart from the fact that it was originally designed for constant movement and sitting represents a forced posture, one can also sit incorrectly: for example, when things get complicated at work, many fall into a bent, rigid, and cramped pose, in which the skeletal muscles have to perform very heavy holding work.
Even when the problem is solved, the stressful part is done, and there is some time for relaxation, the body still has a lot to do: In a sitting posture that most people find comfortable, for example, the abdominal muscles relax. Since they contribute a large part to supporting the skeleton, over time this leads to a so-called rounded back, which in turn is bad for the intervertebral discs. The intervertebral discs – which are, so to speak, small shock absorbers between the individual vertebrae of the spine – maintain their flexibility through constant movement. Like a sponge, they then absorb nutrients. Anyone who does not move their back for several hours a day causes the intervertebral discs to dry out in places. A consequence of this is a so-called slipped disc.
That back pain can also occur without a slipped disc can be seen from current statistics. Back disorders are currently among the top causes of illness-related absenteeism in Germany. However, most of these are not damage to the skeleton or musculoskeletal system, but are due to hardened or stiff muscles and their painful symptoms.
Organs are also stressed by regular long periods of sitting. Two examples: Since the circulatory system and metabolism go into "standby" mode when sitting, there is a risk of diabetes or cardiovascular diseases in the long run. The angled knees and hips make it difficult for blood to reach the heart. Therefore, problems with the veins are the result.
Many possible solutions
Of course, few people can give up their office job for the sake of their back, and there's nothing wrong with a cozy evening on the couch - as long as there's a balance. It would be enough if the body were used for the purpose it was originally made for before or after a working day. Experts often recommend the following rule of thumb in this context: five minutes of conscious movement for every hour sat, and the damage counter is reset to zero.
In individual cases, the measure may need to be adjusted. But if, for example, you engage in sports for a good three-quarters of an hour after a working day, you are not doing anything wrong. Another rule of thumb that can be applied throughout the day is not only good for the back but also prevents practically all chronic diseases: the ten-thousand-step rule. Anyone who walks ten thousand steps throughout the day - no matter where - does something good for their circulation, back, and organs. This includes not only walks, hikes, or jogs around the block, but literally every step taken within 24 hours.
More compensatory movement plus less sitting equals a solution
Compensatory sport or movement is therefore important. However, it would be better not to sit so much in the first place that it causes a problem. This goal can be achieved in various ways: one could, for example, adjust the small screws of everyday life. If the weather is good, it might be worthwhile to leave the subway behind and take the bike to work. For short distances, a brisk walk is recommended, which stimulates the metabolism and brings oxygen into the blood. The elevator in the office building or apartment building is convenient, but the stairwell is a free, daily available training facility.
Even in the office, there are many ways to interrupt constant sitting. Short meetings with colleagues can certainly take place while walking, coffee breaks don't necessarily have to happen at the coffee table, and the printer could also be placed in such a way that there are a few steps counted for each printout. The ultimate solution for reducing sitting, however, would be a table at which you don't necessarily have to sit.
The evolution from classic desk to standing desk
It is quite possible that in earlier times people already suspected that sitting does not only have advantages. But it could also be that people generally disliked sitting. In pictures of offices from the Wilhelminian era, a strange piece of furniture always stands out that is practically no longer found in modern offices: the lectern. To avoid having to hold heavy folios while reading, especially in stately offices or reading rooms, people liked to have a standing desk where they primarily did reading and simple writing tasks.
Over the years it disappeared and, in a modern version as a lectern, occasionally found its way back to the workplaces primarily of those who had already experienced the unpleasant consequences of sitting. Or of those who simply appreciate a place where they can work standing up. A development of this is currently becoming the new standard in modern offices, certainly in connection with the increasing number of people with back problems: the standing desk.
From the corner office on the executive floor to the open-plan office, these continuously adjustable all-rounders are appreciated - after all, they offer the possibility of alternating between sitting and standing activities.
How does a standing desk work?
The emphasis is on variety. It's obvious: replacing one static posture with another doesn't help much. The real opportunity that a standing desk – or, more correctly: a height-adjustable desk – offers is that long periods of sitting can be interrupted at almost any time. This doesn't require a second piece of furniture, but a simple button on the conventional-looking desk: the work surface is raised at the touch of a button.
The construction of an electrically height-adjustable desk is simple in itself: The tabletop is supported by two uprights, whose feet are adequately dimensioned, for example in the shape of a C-foot. Inside the uprights are two electric motors, which are controlled via a control panel. These can be used to raise and lower the tabletop along with the devices on it, with most models having a safety system, a so-called anti-collision protection. This is intended to prevent fingers, cables or objects from being crushed.
Cable trays integrated into the table allow for clean cable routing, so that the monitor or computer does not fall off the table when the tabletop is raised. Depending on the version, different heights can also be programmed and controlled at the touch of a button. The advantages of such an all-round piece of furniture: In extreme cases, work doesn't even have to be interrupted when switching between sitting and standing. While some, for example, find it more comfortable to conduct their phone calls standing up, but then fill out the meeting minutes sitting down, they can maintain their workflow.
A "swopper", a type of sprung stool, can help with this. It is also available in a height-adjustable version. When sitting, this seating furniture, not unlike a joystick, enables dynamic working. By pulling a lever, the seat of the stool moves to a height known from bar stools. Thus, it can be a useful addition to the standing desk and a good alternative to the classic office chair.
A step towards healthy work
The amount makes the poison: this rule of thumb applies to sitting as well as standing. Anyone who buys a standing desk and immediately spends entire working days upright will not be doing their body much good. Furthermore, such a piece of furniture does not relieve the absolute necessity of exercising after work or at least moving for an hour. An extended walk, a jog or swim, or some time on the bike or treadmill remain a sensible and healthy contrast program to a workday in the office.
Especially those who have been working sedentary jobs for years should be careful when first starting to stand. Because the basic principles of sports exercises apply here too: slowly increase the duration and number of repetitions! In plain English: the risk of a so-called rounded back decreases with constant variety - and not through another extreme. Caution is therefore advised, but exaggerated inhibitions about this new form of working are inappropriate.
If you listen to your body, you do a lot right. If your lower back complains or your knees hurt, it's time to raise the desk. If fatigue sets in after a while, your soles ache, your neck hurts, or your thighs tingle, it's time for another round in the good old office chair.