Is sitting the new smoking? A stance to make the change
We are creatures of habit.
And throughout the years we’ve quickly evolved into sedentary creatures tapping away monotonously at a keyboard while looking at a computer screen.
Well what if you were told that “sitting is the new smoking…”
I hate to break it to you, but as crazy as this may sound…its true.
Dr. Levine is credited for this profound mantra. He is the director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative and inventor of the treadmill desk. He is the pioneer who started the campaign of movement in the office (1).
Over the past 10 years, research findings on prolonged sedentary behavior have proliferated to the surface. These studies discuss the adverse effects of sitting for prolonged periods of time and compiled conclusions are shocking.
Some of these serious alignments are: Diabetes Mellitus, Cardiovascular Disease + Cancer - not to mention increased waist circumference, and Body Mass Index-BMI (2).
How may you ask is sitting the new smoking? Well simply put, the amount of damage over the course of time are irreversible just like the effect of smoking on your lungs (1).
So what changes do we need to make?
According to the CDC, we need to change the way we work and foster movement in the work place (3). This can be achieved by educating staff about the importance of movement and providing employees tools that allow them to change their working positions throughout the day (2). Here are some other solutions to make changes in your office.
Solutions:
1. Furniture/Ergonomic tools: Integrating height-adjustable tables + other sit-stand options.
2. Wellness Programs: Incorporating a wellness program to help promote healthy habits and light to vigorous exercise for all ages during breaks, lunch, or down time.
3. Space Planning: Curating and designing an office that promotes movement and allowing employees to flow throughout the office.
Ex: Creating huddle areas to get a team to come together and discuss projects, creating shelters that allow the individual to escape their workspace and enter a place for solitude and focus, creating lunch break rooms that encourage co-workers to come together, eat, and talk.
Things are constantly evolving in the world we live in and we need to create spaces that foster change. This sense of flexibility and versatility may seem like a large feat, but in the end it helps curate innovative solutions and ideas that allow us to grow.
Here at b + c we embrace change and create spaces that reflect flexibility and innovation as a company grows and its employees reap the benefits of working in a collaborative, healthy, and fun space.
References:
1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-active-times/sitting-is-the-new-smokin_b_5890006.html
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404815/
3. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2012/11_0323.htm