A Wealth of Info on Combating the Sedentary Workplace

The past several years have brought significant new research and awareness to the issue of sitting all day at work, as more and more scientists, employers, and workers understand the health risks of being sedentary for hours on end, as well as the numerous benefits that come from light activity such as periodic standing and walking. Recently, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society devoted an entire issue of Ergonomics in Design to the subject of combating the sedentary workplace. Topics include sitting disease, the benefits of periodic standing, overcoming barriers to use of treadmill desks, the need for companies to design active workspaces, and more. If you've been considering an adjustable-height desk or treadmill desk for yourself or your employees, you'll find a lot of excellent, well-researched information in this journal.

The writers' findings mirror what we have seen from researchers for a while now: all-day sitting is terrible for your health, periodic standing helps alleviate these health conditions, additional light activity like walking or pedaling positively affects cardio-metabolic and musculoskeletal health. One article also addresses the potential barriers to incorporating treadmill desks, such as noise, peer pressure, hierarchy, and the need for motivation. Those aren't issues that any of us here at Human Solution have to worry about, of course, since we all have treadmill desks and first-hand experience with their efficacy, but it's understandable that it may seem odd for just one or two people to be standing or walking within a sea of fixed-height cubicles. As more employees see the height-adjustable workstations, though, more request them, and soon the entire office is standing. We've seen this time and again, with companies ordering five or ten or twenty desks at a time to slowly get the whole crew on their feet.

The initial financial outlay of providing height-adjustable workstations or treadmill desks for the entire office is offset in the longer term by happier employees, higher productivity, and fewer sick days. We've worked with numerous companies to make the transition, and we're happy to offer suggestions and alleviate your concerns. Once you experience the freedom of getting out of your office chair, you will never go back!

TheHumanSolution.com has everything you need for an active workday.

Related Reads:

• Sitting All Day is Even Worse Than We Thought!
• Walking is Pretty Much the Best Thing Ever
• Thinking About Outfitting Your Entire Office with Sit-Stand Workstations? These Tips Can Help!