The Sedentary Lifestyle: A Growing Health Concern

Most jobs today require very little physical activity. Many of us make our living by sitting at a desk and typing on a computer. It is not uncommon for people to spend half of their waking hours sitting. Post-COVID, telework has become increasingly common, blurring work/home boundaries and heightening the odds of extending work hours with fewer rest breaks.

This is not optimal. The health risks of prolonged sitting are many, including:

• Developing insulin resistance (i.e., heading towards type 2 diabetes)
• Vascular dysfunction
• Shift in muscle fiber from oxidative to glycolytic type (i.e., muscles become less resistant to fatigue)
• Reduced cardiorespiratory fitness
• Loss of muscle mass and strength and bone mass
• Increased total body fat mass and visceral fat depot
• Increased blood lipid concentrations & inflammation   

The health risks of prolonged sitting have received ample recognition – such that the phrase “sitting is the new smoking” has been bandied about in health media.  While catchy, that phrase (fortunately) overstates the real health risks of prolonged sitting. Comparative mortality statistics show a 1.22 relative risk from prolonged sitting versus a 2.8 relative risk from smoking. So yeah, sitting is bad, but smoking is way worse for your health. However, that 1.22 from sitting still means a 22% greater risk of mortality, so let’s focus on reducing that risk to your health by getting some movement in.

Breaking Free from the Sedentary Cycle: Practical Tips

The key to breaking the cycle of prolonged sitting is to plan some movement into your day at regular intervals. Instead of a smoke break, take a physical activity break. This does not entail running laps around your office. It simply means standing and walking for one to two minutes every 30 minutes or so. Research has shown that physical activity breaks of any intensity (i.e., they don’t have to be hard—you just need to move) improve endothelial function, a key component of vascular health.

You can also do some exercises while sitting at your desk! Here are some movements I incorporate into my daily routine. They can all be done subtly to not freak out your coworkers and should not make you break out in a sweat. However, they will increase blood flow and energy expenditure a bit above the sedentary level.   

1. Abdominal draw-ins: While sitting as tall as possible (on my stability-ball desk chair), suck your belly button in towards the spine and hold it there for 20-45 seconds.  
2. Seated piriformis stretch: Cross one ankle over the other thigh while sitting. Try to keep the shin of the crossed leg parallel to the floor.  While keeping your trunk as long as possible, hinge at your hips to lower your chest towards your crossed leg. You will feel a stretch in the outside of your hip.  Hold that stretch for a 10-30s count. 
3. Crossed-body shoulder stretch: While sitting tall, grasp one elbow and gently draw it across your body at your chest level. You should feel a stretch in the back of your shoulder. Hold for 10-30 seconds.

Optimize Your Workspace

Improving your workspace can also reduce your sedentary time. Standing or sit-stand desks, which allow one to stand while working, have been found to reduce sitting time by almost one hour per day. This may be a good option for some.  

Some sitting at work is unavoidable. Make your workspace as comfortable as possible to make the sitting times tolerable. Position your chair and monitor to allow you to sit in a neutral position without twisting or hunching your neck/lower back. This should enable you to sit for required work periods with a lower risk of musculoskeletal pain to your neck, shoulders, or lower back. An optimized workspace, combined with physical activity breaks, exercises at your desk, and a regular exercise program, can significantly offset the negative effects of sitting.

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