Sitting all day may be worse for your health than you think

Safe Work Australia has called on employers and employees to take action — literally — on reports about half of workers across various industries and occupations are sitting often or for all of the time they are at work.

While it’s not a new workplace health concern, a literature review commissioned by Safe Work Australia spells out many of the negative effects of sedentary work, including the idea that excessive sitting and physical inactivity are separate health hazards.

Undertaken by researchers from Curtin University, the review examined the most recent evidence from Australia and overseas on sedentary work, its likely consequences and potential control options.

It showed that prolonged unbroken sitting time is associated with a range of health problems including musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, some cancers and premature mortality.

Compounding this, health problems caused by prolonged sitting remain — even if you exercise vigorously every day.

“Sitting for longer than 30 minutes without a mini-break and sitting all day at work is likely to be detrimental to health,” said Safe Work Australia CEO Michelle Baxter.

“Early evidence suggests occupational interventions targeting sitting reduction can substantially reduce occupational sitting, at least in office workplaces.”

Professor Leon Straker from Curtin University’s School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science said for some jobs there are simple ways to prevent prolonged occupational sitting, such as standing to read a document, having a standing or walking meeting, standing while talking on the phone, or walking to deliver a message to a colleague rather than emailing.

The literature review, Sedentary Work: Evidence on an Emergent Work Health and Safety Issue, is available here.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Terry J Alcom

Originally published here.