Recently, I published a post here about the health hazards of having a sedentary job. In fact, one of the things I was most looking forward to about beginning a second career as a freelance writer was having control of my schedule so that I’d no longer be chained to a desk. As of Week 2, that benefit is proving true: Peroni and I take daily lunchtime walks, and I can shift my workspace from desk to kitchen to porch …
I spotted this infographic on the HOW Blog today that provides compelling stats on why desk jobs kinda suck. Or, rather, they’re incompatible with our bodies, which were designed for movement and physical work.
As someone with a definite desk job, I am not surprised by–but I am scared about–all these statistics on the perils of sitting. I’m starting to investigate treadmill desks, which seem like a (relatively) simple way to incorporate more movement. I’d love to hear from anyone who’s used one of these desks. Thanks!
Susan — I’ve also heard about standing desks, which at least keep you off your @ss all day. My Pilates instructor attributes my extremely tight hip flexors to my desk job. So I’m taking care to get up and move from desk to kitchen to porch throughout the day, and to take 2 to 3 walks per day.
I’ve seen this report before, but I’m curious: why do these studies never mention the fact that all of us are sedentary for about 6-9 hours a day while sleeping? Somehow sleeping doesn’t count?