Is your job too sedentary? Sitting is a killer, and Dr. James Levine, who discusses the risks of sitting here, believes it’s time to get up. “Too much sitting seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.” Sitting is also linked to increased risk of stroke, weight gain, and depression.
Dr. Levine analyzed a study that focused on individuals that watched TV for 2 hours while sitting, compared to those that watched TV for 4+ hours while sitting. Those that watched TV for over 4 hours found that they had:
1. A nearly 50 percent increased risk of death from any cause
2. About a 125 percent increased risk of events associated with cardiovascular disease, such as chest pain (angina) or heart attack
If these are your odds from watching television, can you imagine how those odds stack up if you’re at a sedentary position at work as well?
Some of the most sedentary jobs are listed here, but any sedentary job is one where you sit for 6+ hours a day. Believe it or not, exercising 3 times a week for an hour won’t counteract the effects of sitting each day on the job. A Rebel Desk treadmill desk has you standing and walking throughout the day to keep you active, healthy, and moving.
Now, onto the list of sedentary jobs:
1. Technology Jobs- Spending the day in front of your computer while programming, developing software, and other related tech jobs can be hard on your eyes and especially on your body. Popular “hackathons” feature hours of working in groups without breaks to develop new ideas and software apps. More of these hackathons are featuring standing and treadmill desks for teams to use while they work diligently for those long hours.
2. Administrative Positions- This role often requires this person to be the first face others see, to greet visitors and employees alike within the office. Because of this initial greeting, along with all the other tasks involved (accounting, payroll, phone calls, etc) this person rarely gets up from their desk. A standing desk option could be the perfect solution for someone who’s required to be at their desk for the entire workday.
3. Communication Positions- As the Director of Marketing for Rebel Desk, I feel for all the other marketing, public relations, and media relations employees out there! It is easy to sit down to write out a press release or get caught up in an article for hours without grabbing lunch. Personally, a treadmill desk helps me produce quality work, stay productive, focused, and energized throughout my day. Not to mention feeling great after a long workday!
4. Transportation Positions- Driving for a living is hard. Taxi drivers, bus drivers, truck drivers and others know how little exercise they get during those work hours. Long hours behind the wheel need to be followed up with many breaks of walking and stretching, as well as healthy eating!
Kudos to you if you didn’t make this list of most sedentary positions, but keep track of the hours you find yourself sitting at work and at home to see if you need to make a change for your health! It’s easy to make the transition to standing and walking, and your body and mind will thank you for it.