Today’s technology has drastically changed how much time we
spend sitting at work, at home or while commuting each day. This change has
been directly linked to an increase in certain health issues.
Research into office-based, call centre, and retail employee
behaviours has revealed that more than two thirds of the working day is spent
sitting. Sedentary workers also tended to spend their non-working days sitting
as well, increasing the risk of health issues such as cardiovascular disease,
obesity, and diabetes. Another study published in the American Journal of
Epidemiology estimated that the average American spends 55 per cent of
their waking time (7.7 hours per day) in sedentary behaviours such as sitting.
Physiologist and Professor Marc Hamilton says that the cure
for too much sitting isn’t exercising more, it’s spending more time on your
feet and out of your chair. Of course exercising is desirable, but the average
person could not do enough to counteract the effect of hours of sitting.
It’s also important not to confuse regular exercise with
being active warns Doctor Peter Katzmarzyk from the Pennington Obesity Research
Centre, US. You may go to the gym every day for an hour, but if you spend a good
amount of time sitting each day, you are probably not leading an overall active
lifestyle, and your excessive sitting could undo the benefits of your daily
exercise.
On the other hand, spending too much time standing can also
impact on your health.
One third of the working population spend their working days
– up to 12 hours – on their feet, coming home with tired and aching feet,
varicose veins, poor circulation and swelling in the legs, back pain, joint
damage, and heart and circulatory issues. Thousands of work-related foot
injuries are reported every year, with workers including teachers, nurses,
production line, construction, and bank workers, retail staff, florists,
engineers, hairdressers, police officers, and flight attendants taking sick
days because of leg or foot disorders.
Foot Care Tips
If you have a sedentary job, follow these strategies to be
more active:
- stand up while talking on the
phone
- schedule mini breaks in your
calendar every 20-30 minutes to stand up and stretch
- organise standing or walking
meetings (even if you are working from home)
- walk to your colleagues’ desk instead of calling or emailing them
- stand up while reading this article.
If you work on your feet all day, follow these tips to
prevent leg and foot injuries:
- buy proper footwear that fits
your feet, preferably with leather uppers, and allow your toes to have plenty
of room to wiggle and move
- get off your feet as often as
possible, and during your breaks, elevate them if you can
- if possible, alternate shoes each
day
- soak your tired feet in water to
soothe them after a long day at work.