If you’re a knowledge – (read desk-bound) worker, there’s a good chance you can do most, if not all, of your work, from a desk using a computer and maybe a phone (and possibly some other tech gadgets as well) but without doing any serious movement. While this can be very convenient, it isn’t exactly good for your health.
Modern lifestyles can be very static
Assuming you get 8 hours of sleep a night, that leaves you 16 waking hours. If you’re working a 9-5 workday and taking an hour for lunch (admittedly that can be quite a big if), then you’re probably spending 7 to 8 of those hours static (depending on what you do with your lunch break.
Add in a commute and maybe extra hours at work, plus some “me time” chilling out with a book or something on a screen, you could easily be spending more than half of your waking hours static. It may be static sitting, static standing or static lying down, but it is still static.
Standing desks are not the answer
Standing desks make you stand (unless you find a bar stool or a way to raise a chair to cope with the extra height), they do not make you move. They may give you a bit more freedom to move as compared to sitting down, but that is different. Some office workers have tried to split the difference by sitting on balance balls and sometimes rolling them backwards and forwards, but the feasibility of this depends on a number of factors, not least the space available in your office. There’s also the question of whether a balance ball really is a suitable long-term seat.
You need to move
The simple fact of the matter is that if you want to stay healthy you need to move. The problem is that modern lifestyles can seem designed to make that difficult. In fact, some jobs (for example contact-centres) can expect workers to be literally sat at their desks plugged into their phones at all times except for designated break periods, which may be as short as is legally permitted.
What’s more, there may be pressure on staff to stay at their desks during break periods, partly to make sure that they are back on time and partly to get on with work they did not have time to do while taking calls. Although contact centres are absolutely notorious for this sort of environment, it has to be said that the problem of being (figuratively) chained to a desk is far from unique to them.
Finding ways to move
First of all, be aware of your rights at work and be prepared to exercise them as far as it is practical to do so. For example, if you are in a precarious work situation and don’t want to “rock the boat”, then you might want just to stick to the unwritten rules until you can find something better, but for the sake of your long-term health, you should make it a priority to do so.
Secondly, remember that little gains add up. It may not seem like much but small actions such as getting off a stop early (if you take the bus) or taking the stairs instead of the lift can get you moving. Try to find ways to force more exercise into your work life. For example, reduce the size of your water bottle and use a cup instead of a mug so you are forced to walk to the water dispenser and/or kettle more often. Also, try doing exercises you can perform seated. Your feet will be under your desk so nobody needs to know.
