Why regular movement is more than just back exercises
Millions of people now work in offices. They often spend six to nine hours sitting at their desk. Sitting for long periods causes back pain and tension for many people. But a lack of movement can also lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Do you sit in the office for several hours every day and want to prevent this by moving more at work? We give you tips on how to move more in the office.
Why is movement at work so important?
Studies have shown that the average German office worker spends 80,000 hours of their working life sitting down. Adults sit for an average of 7.5 hours a day. However, studies indicate that prolonged sitting not only increases the likelihood of back problems, but also raises the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Anyone who wants to improve their health and well-being at work should therefore make sure they move more during the working day. Office life needs to become much more varied and active in order to prevent the negative effects of sitting for long periods.
Why should I stand up regularly and walk around too?
Doing sport and exercise in your free time is a good start, but it does not solve the problem. It is not enough to only focus on your body after work and at the weekend. Experts warn that anyone who takes too little time for movement at work will later have to make a lot of time for various illnesses. Even now, a large proportion of sick leave is due to musculoskeletal problems. Back pain is one of the consequences that almost every office worker knows from everyday working life. Back exercises and stretching exercises alone are not enough to compensate for the lack of movement in the office. You do not need to expect top athletic performance from yourself; the point is simply to become more active. The working day needs to be thought through and filled with small bursts of movement. The results of a study by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden suggest that, for your health, it is more important to move your muscles a little from time to time than to put them under heavy strain during exercise sessions.
What happens to my blood vessels if I sit for long periods?
If you sit for many hours every day and get very little movement during your working day, this can have a negative effect not only on your back and neck, but also on your blood vessels. A lack of movement also affects blood flow. At first you may not notice this impairment, but the effects of prolonged sitting are often hard to miss. Your legs feel heavy and your feet become swollen. Blood flow, especially in the legs, is supported in part by movement and by the muscles in the legs. The oxygen-poor blood has to be transported back to the heart against gravity. Movement supports this process. If you sit for many hours a day, blood transport becomes more difficult.
Alongside the veins, the arteries can also be affected by a lack of movement. This can lead to increased blood lipid levels as well as deposits on the vessel walls. Experts also see inactivity as one reason for the growing incidence of cardiovascular disease. If you move regularly, you can also help keep your blood vessels healthy.
Why do my legs sometimes hurt when I sit for long periods in the office?
Sitting still for hours on end can have a negative effect on blood circulation in the legs. After a long day at the office, many people complain of tired, swollen legs. You may also feel an unpleasant tingling sensation. Sometimes pain can occur as well. It has long been known that sitting for long periods in a car or on a plane can negatively affect the legs. But this risk also exists in the office. If you sit at a desk for several hours a day, your body will very likely start sending warning signals at some point. After a long day spent sitting at your office desk, leg pain can occur in the office. One possible cause is circulatory problems brought on by sitting. In any case, you should have leg pain checked by a doctor. Serious conditions such as thrombosis may also be behind it.
What can I do to move more in the office?
According to experts, damage caused by sitting too long in the office can be avoided. The first step is to set up the office ergonomically. Suitable options include office furniture such as an ergonomic office chair and an ergonomic office desk. Ergonomics in the workplace is the foundation. It is also important to keep sitting periods as short as possible and to break them up regularly with short bursts of movement. So you should not only make sitting as ergonomic as possible with ergonomic office furnishings, but also make sure to stretch your legs regularly in the office. These tips will help you bring more movement into your working day every day:
- Use meetings, phone calls and your lunch break as opportunities to walk. That does not mean you need to go jogging, but for example, take calls while standing and walk around the room during the conversation. Meetings do not always have to be held sitting down - take a short walk with the people you are talking to and use your lunch break for a little stroll too.
- Avoid lifts and escalators in everyday life and walk instead.
- Deliberately park further away from the office or get off one or two stops earlier so that you can walk part of the way.
- If you want more movement in the office, you should drink plenty of water. More frequent trips to the toilet automatically mean more movement.
- Alternate between sitting and standing when working at your desk. A height-adjustable desk can be a great help here.
- If bins, printers, scanners and copiers are placed a little further away from your workstation, you will need to get up regularly. Measures like these also encourage more movement in the workplace.
- One rule of ergonomics states that you should sit for a maximum of 40 minutes per hour. A further 15 minutes should be spent standing. For the remaining 5 minutes, you should be actively moving.
Conclusion
Movement at work – walking around the office is not a luxury. Getting enough movement at your workstation is important for health in the workplace. If you feel healthy and comfortable, you can concentrate better and work more effectively. Break up your periods of sitting in the office regularly and build in short bursts of movement. Alternate between sitting, standing and walking to engage as many muscle groups as possible. More movement at work is an investment in employees’ health and wellbeing, and ergonomic office furniture is the first step in that direction.