The Power of Workplace Movement to Keep You Healthy
By Chris Brown
If you're like many modern-day Americans, your workday probably consists of hours in front of a computer. However, long-seated periods can lead to several well-known health problems over time, so many workers have trended toward standing desks. Since employees are now on their feet, standing desks seem to be the perfect health solution for the sedentary workspace, right? Think again. Recent studies have found that it is not standing, but moving throughout the day that truly keeps you healthy and mentally sharp.
Why Popular Standing Desks Aren't the Solution to Sedentary Office Life
After modern workplace studies showed the enormous health impacts of extended sitting, progressive workspaces started installing standing desks. However, standing desks, while better than sitting, aren't the end-all work-health solution. Not only does long-term standing bring its own health problems (such as lower back pain and heart disease, according to a 12-year study completed in 2017), it may only be marginally preferable to sitting for other sedentary-related health conditions according to recent studies. The key to avoiding physical health problems and brain fog is by dispersing periods of movement throughout the workday, although that may be easier to do from a standing position.
Movement Keeps the Body Healthy and Improves Performance
The problem with the sedentary lifestyle is that the body starts to break down if not kept moving. Everything from poorer mental health to cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis have been linked to limited movement. Even minor movement during work has shown statistically significant results. A study of 8,000 participants over 45 years old found that those who sat for periods less than 30 minutes were less likely to die early, even when their total daily seated amount was the same as the other participants.
In the shorter term, England's National Health Service discovered that long seated periods caused weight gain by reducing both metabolism and fat-dissolving enzymes by up to 90 percent. On the other hand, according to a study by Western State Colorado University, it took only five minutes of modest movement per hour to produce a 21 percent increase in "good" HDL cholesterol, a 25 percent decrease in triglycerides (fats which increase the risk of heart attack and stroke), and a 6 percent drop in blood sugar. Not to mention, the time set aside for moving during the workday may actually save worktime through productivity, as even three minutes of movement every hour has been shown to improve mood and energy, increase blood flow, and induce a sharper mental state.
If bodily pain is keeping you sedentary and unhealthy, The Joint Chiropractic may be able to help. The Joint can deploy affordable spinal manipulation techniques shown to reduce pain and increase mobility. Walk-ins are welcome, so there is no excuse not to get your body moving, and healthy, today.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in North Las Vegas, Nev.