WHY YOU SHOULD STAND AT WORK FOR TWO HOURS A DAY

OFFICE WORKERS, STAND UP FROM YOUR DESK FOR TWO HOURS A DAY

We’ve known for some time that too much sitting increases your risk of diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and early death. But until now it’s been unclear how much standing during the work day may counter this increased risk.

Guidelines published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine urge employers change their workplace culture and social norms around the sedentary office. It recommends desk-based office workers spend at least two hours of their working day standing or moving, and to gradually progress to four hours.

Commissioned by Public Health England and Active Working Community Interest Company, an international group of experts from the United Kingdom, United States and Australia (including myself) spent several months reviewing the existing evidence. There was much lively “debate” and several revisions before reaching the final recommendations.

As well as two hours of standing and light activity such as light walking each day (progressing to four hours), the guidelines recommend:

Regularly breaking up seated-based work with standing-based work, with the use of adjustable sit-stand desks or work stations
Avoiding prolonged static standing, which may be as harmful as prolonged sitting
Altering posture or light walking to alleviate possible musculoskeletal pain and fatigue while you adapt to more standing or moving
Warning staff about the potential dangers of too much time sitting down either at work or at home.
The recommendations are based largely on observational and retrospective studies or short-term intervention studies showing breaks from sitting reduce the risk of developing heart disease and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Clearly, longer-term intervention studies are needed and future refinements to the guidelines will be required as more evidence is published.

There are two elements of the recommendations that could be easily overlooked but are of great importance. First, the two and eventually four hours a day of standing and light activity should be accumulated across the working day to avoid introducing other harms associated with prolonged static standing. These include blood pooling in the lower legs and feet and varicose veins.

Regularly breaking up prolonged seated work with standing-based work is the key message here. This is consistent with the 2014 Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour guidelines that recommend adults to “minimise the time spent in prolonged sitting” and “break up long periods of sitting as often as possible”.

Second, the initial guidelines provide the platform for employers to further raise awareness among employees that prolonged sitting, aggregated from work and leisure time, may significantly increase disease risk. Adults who sit for ten hours per day have an estimated 34% higher risk of early death, even if they exercise regularly.

The use of a sit-to-stand adjustable work desk is one solution to the problem of prolonged sitting in the workplace. But these desks shouldn’t be viewed as the only solution. It’s also important to note that long-term studies of the likely impact on health outcomes are not yet available.

Employers should provide alternative ways of working to those that have become so ingrained in modern workplaces.

A glaring example is long meetings where participants must sit, uninterrupted. Organisations such as the National Heart Foundation of Australia are now instituting “standing agenda items” so participants can stand up and move around the room. In the past this may have been seen as being disruptive.

Other organisations are providing headsets that allow workers to move about during long phone calls.

Many offices are removing personal waste bins and opting for a central bin to encourage movement.

If you need a prompt to get up and moving at work, give up the chair for a day on June 11 for the campaign On Your Feet Australia. It might also give employers the nudge they need to start changing sedentary workplace cultures to improve their employees’ health and reduce the nation’s burden of heart disease and diabetes.

David Dunstan, Associate Professor and Laboratory Head of Physical Activity, Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute

Subscribe to My Email List

Sign up to receive my newsletter and updates on new blog posts.

Waiver of Terms

RELEASE
You acknowledge and take full responsibility for your life and well-being, as well as the lives and well-being of your family (where applicable), and all decisions made during and after the Program. In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, you hereby and forever waive, release and discharge me, my heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, officers, agents, employees, representatives, executors, and all others acting on their behalf (the “Released Parties”) from any claims or liabilities for injuries or damages to your person and/or property or that of your family (where applicable), including those caused by negligent act or omission of any of those mentioned or others acting on their behalf, arising out of or connected with your participation in the Program or in connection with services provided by Journey guide Life coach LLC or the Released Parties.


LEGAL ITEMS
This Agreement may not be modified without the prior written consent of the Client and Coach. The waiver by either party of a breach, right, or obligation shall not constitute a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, right, or obligation. If any provision of this Agreement is found to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason, the remainder of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. This Agreement sets forth the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior proposals, agreements, and representations between the parties, whether written or oral, regarding the subject matter herein. Neither party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall benefit the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Except as provided to the contrary herein, those provisions of the Agreement that by their nature and context are intended to survive the termination of this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement. This Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the state in which the Coach resides without reference to its conflict of law provisions, and with the same force and effect as if fully executed and performed therein. Each Party hereby consents to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the State and Federal Courts where the Coach resides and acknowledges that venue is proper only in such courts.

 

The client acknowledges that: (1) you have received a copy of this letter agreement; (2) you have had an opportunity to discuss the contents with me and, if you desire, to have it reviewed by your attorney; and (3) you understand, accept and, agree to abide by the terms thereof. (4)client understands all payments are final no refunds will be made for any reason( 5) client agrees to a minimum of 1 session at the Maximum Price of $300 each ( if you have purchased a monthly package or 90-day package you can still be churched a no show fee of 100% the value of the session ) once involving a package the client understands if they drop out of the program for any reason they will be responsible for the remaining cost of the remaining number of sessions Depending on the package purchased. (Example: if you buy a monthly package of four sessions. Use only one and decide not to continue you are still responsible for the remaining three sessions at full purchase value) packages are non-transferable. (6) client acknowledges they must give 48-hour notice prior to any session cancellations failures to do so Will permit a no-show fee of up to 100 percent of the cost of the session. (7) client understands if they have more than one cancellation during the program they can be dropped from the program and still held responsible for the full cost of the program. (8) this waiver covers all services provided by Journey guide Life coach LLC including but not limited to coaching services classes and training courses workshops etc…

by acknowledging this waiver client agrees the acknowledgment of this waiver is the equivalent to the client’s online signature to all terms.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Client and Coach agree to the terms and conditions set forth in and have duly executed this Client Commitment & Agreement effective as of the booking of A session.