Is your desk job killing you and what you can do about it

Do you have any activity tracking device, like a Fitbit, Garmin or Jawbone?

I love gadgets and data and colorful charts, so the idea of having one always fascinated me but thought I objectively didn’t need one. I’ve always been very regular with my workouts, often up to five hours a week so I figured I was good. I thought I was doing enough.

The truth is I was not doing enough.

And you are most probably also not doing enough.

It turns out, measuring activity only by the time we spend exercising is outdated. A more accurate measure is how sedentary our lifestyle is, or how much time we spend sitting (or lying).

Because sitting kills.

And this is no exaggeration. The World Health Organization warns that “a sedentary lifestyle could very well be among the 10 leading causes of death and disability in the world” source

Being in the office is physically comfortable but sitting in front of the computer all day, and later in front of the TV, and commuting are all sedentary behaviour, and increase the risk for several chronic diseases like coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer, as well as anxiety and depression.

These scary facts are supported by a large body of research.

Reading about all this I felt doomed. Changing my profession or eliminating my almost 2-hour daily commute are not really an option.

Fortunately, we can do something about it. It will take some thought, planning, and dedication, but looking at the scary statistics, I’d say it’s worth it.

The main goal is to decrease the uninterrupted amount of time we stay sitting by spreading regular short bursts of activity throughout the day.

There are different possibilities, and the good news is they shouldn’t take you much time. The general recommendation is 30 min physical activity and 10k steps daily.

Here’s what I’ve implemented and what works for me. Please feel free to use it as an inspiration, and find what could fit your preferences and lifestyle.

• Remember when I told you I believed I didn’t need an activity tracker? Well, after I learned more about the importance of daily movement apart from formal exercise routine, I did end up buying a Fitbit. And for me, it turned out very useful. I’m sure you have heard the saying “what gets measured gets improved”. Starting out I was only making between 4-6k steps in a day, sometimes even less. This is way below the recommended minimum of 10k steps. I now make a conscientious effort to hit my steps goal. So, please consider getting one of those devices for yourself, or even just installing an app on your phone.
• I wish walking or biking to the office was an option for me but it isn’t. If you’re like me parking not so close to the office, getting off the bus one bus stop earlier may be an alternative. When I started at my current job I was a bit disappointed that our parking spaces were about 5 minutes brisk walk from the office as I thought that’s time wasted, and who has time for that? Now I appreciate it as I get about 2×800 additional steps in my day.
• Go for a short walk in your lunch break – it is important to have lunch away from the computer, but we are all too busy sometimes. I know that. But even if you just bring your lunch and eat it in the office, going out for a brisk walk will help clear your head. You can get about 2-3k steps in about half an hour – and it will increase your productivity.
• Take the stairs – I make it a point to get up and move each hour. This also helps relieve your eyes from constantly staring at the computer screen. Set an alarm if you have to. My Fitbit reminds me to make 250 steps every hour. I work on the 4th floor so going down and up gets me about 250 steps and takes only about 2 minutes – so no excuses, everyone has 2 minutes! I’m sure the people watching the security cameras were a bit puzzled seeing me go up and down without any apparent reason several times a day, but I figured my health is worth it 😉 Also, you end up meeting colleagues from other floors much more often than you would otherwise so it is a good networking opportunity too.
• Use every chance to move – be it just fidgeting while you’re sitting, stretching, going to the printer separately for each document, getting water, coffee, asking a colleague personally instead of calling – you can use each opportunity to move a bit. If you are using the Pomodoro technique you could use the 5-minute break to stand up and move around a little.
• Standing desk – standing desk is a good alternative to sitting, but it has to be noted that exchanging sitting for standing alone is not good enough. Standing all day comes with its own drawbacks. The important thing is to reduce the time you spend not moving, so a sensible way to use your stand-up desk would be to alternate between sitting and standing several times per day.
• Rebounding – Did you know that NASA used rebounding to help increase bone density in astronauts after spending time in space? Rebounding is an extremely fun way to fight off osteoporosis, knee pain, flush the lymphatic system and improve stability and balance. Mini trampolines with bungee ropes have a smoother bounce and are very gentle on the joints. I have one at home (JumpSport) and like to get on it daily for 15-30 minutes of gentle bounce while listening to music or watching TV to get to my 10k steps. My daughter also loves it and it is pure joy! If you have the opportunity to try one, please do, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
• 3-minute high-intensity training per week – the idea is that you do 20-seconds of max intensity activity (like stationary bike, rebounding – my choice, or even stair climbing) & 40 seconds rest, repeat twice more. Do it 3 times a week. This adds up to a total of 3 minutes per week of high-intensity training – and according to evolving research, it is enough to increase your life expectancy! And you could do this even in your business attire, in the office, if you wanted to. 😉

If you’d like to learn more on this topic, there’s a ton of research available. There’s also a fascinating BBC documentary called The Truth About Exercise and I suggest you watch it if you want to get inspired: BBC link (you need a GB IP to watch it), or you could try Vimeo. Katy Bowman’s books are also a good resource: Don’t Just Sit There, Move Your DNA, Movement Matters.