Professional work often requires long periods of inactivity. Eight hours a day spent at a desk does not have a positive effect on he alth, so it is worth balancing sitting in the office with physical activity. How and how much to exercise to keep fit and he althy despite sedentary work?

Sitting at a desk for many hours every day increases the risk of diseases that can even result in death. Sitting in an office 8 hours a day has been shown to increase the risk of premature death by up to 15% (according to a study by the American College of Cardiology). The lack of physical activity increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and even cancer. Leading a sedentary lifestyle also causes many troublesome ailments (e.g. backache, headache, fatigue, drowsiness). Lack of exercise is estimated to be the cause of 5 million deaths annually. This is a problem faced by today's world and so far there is no effective method to deal with it.

Dangers caused by long-term sitting at the desk

  • Heart diseases - due to a decrease in the activity of the heart during long hours of sitting, its efficiency decreases. The same is true for the lungs. The heart is also affected by a decrease in good cholesterol. After two hours, we have even 20% less of it. People sitting in front of the computer are much more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who are more active on a daily basis. In the American medical press (American Journal of Preventive Medicine) it was proved that 6 hours spent without moving in front of a computer corresponds to smoking 1 packet of cigarettes.
  • Varicose veins - are a nuisance for many people leading a sedentary lifestyle. They form in the legs and disrupt the flow of blood from the legs to the heart. Varicose veins are not only an unsightly defect, but also a serious threat to he alth and life. Untreated varicose veins may be a precursor to thrombosis.
  • Diabetes mellitus type 2 - it is caused by problems with the pancreas, and the lack of exercise disrupts the functioning of this organ. Obesity may also affect the development of the disease.
  • Obesity - unburned calories turn into fatty tissue that builds up quickly. When sitting at a desk, the energy requirement decreases, and we usually eat as much as before(before we started "desktop" lifestyle). Lack of exercise is the easiest way to gain weight, which can result in morbid obesity. Obesity, on the other hand, is a source of many other diseases, e.g. heart or diabetes.
  • Spine defects - to a greater or lesser extent, they concern almost everyone who spends time at the computer. The most vulnerable is the cervical and lumbar spine. A symptom of back problems is pain. Unfortunately, we cannot effectively treat many acquired defects - as it is, for example, in the case of discopathy. The only recipe for improving your well-being is exercise that will strengthen the muscles that support the spine.

In addition to those mentioned, sitting behind a desk may also cause other ailments such as hemorrhoids, constipation, osteoporosis, vision problems.

How much to exercise to balance sitting in the office?

British medical journal "The Lancet" has published the results of research conducted by scientists on one million office workers. It turned out that only 1/4 of the respondents devote their time to various activities every day. After analyzing the data of all people, the researchers concluded that a one-hour daily activity of a person spending 8 hours a day at a desk will compensate the body for lack of exercise enough to minimize the risk of disease and death among these people.

Move at least one hour a day every day!

The above conclusions differ slightly from those presented by the World He alth Organization. Ta - to achieve the same goal of balancing all-day sitting in the office - recommends only 150 minutes of exercise per week. The common conclusion, however, is the very fact that office workers need to spend their time actively. Movement saves us from the negative consequences of sitting work.

What should an office worker practice?

The conclusions of British scientists concern activity understood as simply movement. The recommended hour a day does not have to be devoted to typical sports activities. Activity is any form of exercise, even the minimal one, is good for he alth. It can be a simple walk or a bike ride to work. Employees are not required to regularly participate in sports or training at the gym. Normal activity does not have to take place in a fitness club, so it is not very time-consuming.

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Reducing daily traffic to a minimum should therefore not be excused by the lack of time or space. Anyone can afford to move and it is worth taking advantage of all breaks at work. Hardly anyoneknows that, according to the Labor Code, every Polish employee working at a computer has the right to a 5-minute break for each working hour. It is worth using this time for movement.

In the office . Contrary to appearances, the office is a good place for activity. With a little effort, we can ensure a little movement even in a small space. Many doctors recommend any movements - once every half an hour. The micro-movements themselves, e.g. fidgeting, tightening the abdominal muscles have a positive effect on our condition - they reduce, among others, blood sugar levels, stimulate and oxygenate internal organs. Activity doesn't have to be tiring and time-consuming. At the beginning, it is enough to get up from the desk for a few minutes. You can then walk around the room and stretch a little. Just changing your work position can do wonders. While sitting, we can make leg movements under the desk. We draw circles in the air with our legs, bend our feet, raise and lower our legs. We do everything to help improve blood circulation in the extremities. From time to time, it is worth changing the sitting position, or rather what we are sitting on. We can, for example, replace the chair with a rehabilitation ball or sit on the so-called beret (rehabilitation disc).

On the way.One hour of daily traffic can be easily used for commuting to and from work. Instead of going by car, it's worth changing to a bicycle. If the road is long, you can use public transport, but for example, taking into account the passage of one stop (at the beginning or at the end) on foot. When returning from work, it is good to deviate a bit from the road and, for example, go back on a more roundabout road leading through the park. If there are stairs leading to our apartment, let's use them to move around. Climbing stairs is hardly any waste of time compared to the elevator and there is so much to gain.

At home.We have a lot of possibilities here. Apart from typical sports activities such as push-ups, squats, yoga, stretching, aerobics, dancing, etc., it is enough for us to use the time spent after work in a different way than in front of the TV on the couch. Recreation can also be active. Pleasant work in the garden, playing with the dog or with children, cooking with swaying to the music and even long shopping in the shopping center - all this will positively affect our body and well-being, and thus compensate for our lack of exercise in the first half of the day.

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