Deadly Desk Jobs: Stop Sitting Down From 9am-5pm Everyday

A lot of us who work desk jobs, sit down for at least 8 hours a day – that’s 40 hours a week.

We’re not stupid though, right? We’re all aware that this is pretty bad news for our health, but do we know just how bad it is...?

“If you’ve been sitting for 30 minutes or more you’ve been sitting too long,” warns physical activity expert David Dunstan.

Here’s just a handful of problems that prolonged sitting can lead too:

1) Sitting down makes us fat

This one is hardly surprising really – just look at Wall-e! When we are seated our body movement and activity is at an absolute minimum. So if you’re anything like me, and spend all day snacking on office treats and drinking multiple mochas (we have a free coffee machine) then eventually your clothes are going to start feeling a bit tight, because you’re not using or burning any of that energy and fat you’re consuming.

2) Sitting down makes us more likely to die from a heart attack

Wow, that escalated quickly right? According to a study in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal, those of us who sit down for most of the day are 54% more likely to die from heart attacks. And that’s regardless of other factors:

“We see it in people who smoke and people who don’t…We see it in people who are regular exercisers and those who aren’t. Sitting is an independent risk factor.” – Professor Peter Katzmarzyk

Basically, it doesn’t matter if you exercise in the evenings or eat healthily all of the time – sitting down all day, every day at work will still put you more at risk.

3) Sitting down causes mental health problems

In a three-year survey of 25,000 workers by researchers at Chiba University in Japan, they discovered that repeatedly sitting down in front of a computer for prolonged periods of time can result in depression.

The results, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, showed that 1 in 4 staff spent at least 5 hours a day at their desk. These same staff saw a dramatic increase of developing psychological disorders.

4) Sitting down gives us back and neck troubles

It’s not just sitting down all day, but the way that we sit which also causes problems. More than half of UK workers (51%) have suffered from back pain, with one in five of them needing time off work as a result.

Slumping and leaning into your screen causes forward head syndrome – where your neck muscles shorten and thicken causing headaches as well as arm pains.

Bad posture also eradicates the natural s-shape of the spine, leading to back problems.

5) Sitting down can be as unhealthy and destructive as smoking

A number of studies have shown that prolonged sitting is linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and early death.

“Smoking certainly is a major cardiovascular risk factor and sitting can be equivalent in many cases” explained Dr David Coven in Health Watch.

Coven explains that when we sit down, our bodies go into ‘storage mode’. When this happens, it stops working as effectively as it should.

6) Sitting down causes muscle degeneration

When you slump in a chair, your abdominal muscles go unused, your hip muscles become short and tight, and your glutes do absolutely nothing.

This leads to poor posture, limited range of motion and overall degeneration of your muscles.

7) Sitting down gives us leg disorders

Prolonged sitting can cause a build-up of fluid in the leg veins, known as venous congestion.

You also have the risk of developing a blood clot, which can be deadly if it travels to your heart or lungs (Exactly what happened to NBC News reporter David Bloom).

8) Sitting down makes us more likely to develop kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease is a condition where the kidneys cannot properly filter blood, leading to waste build-up within the body and eventually kidney failure.

A study by the National Institutes of Health, published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases shows that women were able to lower their risk of chronic kidney disease by sitting fewer hours a day. This risk fell by more than 30% when they cut sitting time from 8 hours to just 3 hours a day.

Similarly with men, who saw a 15% decrease risk of chronic kidney disease when reducing the amount of time spent sat down per day.

And the list keeps going, but I’m not going to include any more doom and gloom here (I think you get the overall gist).

But I go to the gym?

It doesn’t matter. Research shows that even if you are physically active and do 30 minutes or more of exercise a day, you’d still be unable to completely avoid the health risks associated with sitting down all day.

I mean, let’s think about it. I’ll share with you my average weekly schedule from a Monday to Friday (no judging):

7:30 am: Breakfast

9:00 am – 12:00 pm: 3 hours sitting at my desk in front of a computer

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: 1 hour sitting down and eating lunch, browsing on the computer

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm: 4 hours sitting at my desk working on the computer

6:00pm – 7:00pm: Gym

8:00 pm – 11:00 pm: 3 hours sitting down watching TV/Reading

Despite going to the gym, I’ve still spent a total of 11 hours sitting down, and as we know, that’s not doing me a lot of good.

So, What’s The Solution? I Can’t Just Change My Career?!

No, that would be ever-so-slightly overdramatic. But there are some things I can try to do to ensure that I break the sitting habit, even if it’s just by a little bit.

1) Stand up

A somewhat obvious answer is to spend less time sitting down and more time standing up. Standing desks are slowly becoming more popular, with big names including AOL, Google, Twitter and Facebook integrating them into their workspaces. See how ReadWrite coped when switching to standing desks for one week.

Another option is to alternate between sitting and standing at your work station. There’s a collection of adjustable desks available already, and it’s a bit nicer than a fully standing desk, as it gives you the ability to sit down on particularly tiring days (like Mondays). Explore our curated list of the best standing desks for 2024 by our talented team of experts.

If your boss doesn’t like the idea of standing (get him to read this article!) or it’s just not an option for you, try something like StandApp. StandApp is a mobile and desktop application which uses alarms to remind us when to take standing breaks from our desks during work hours.

2) Sit properly

• Try to keep the monitor about an arm's length away, and have the top of the screen is level with your eyes.
• Sit up straight and avoid slouching, your neck should be in a relaxed neutral position.
• Avoid back pain by ensuring your lower back is properly supported.
• Your thighs should be parallel to the floor and their length fully supported.
• Make sure you use the keyboard with your wrists and forearms straight and level with the floor (to avoid repetitive strain injuries).
• Both feet should be flat on the floor, try to avoid crossing your legs.

3) Invest in an ergonomic chair

That word’s been floating about for a while now – but what does it actually mean?

If you were to look up “ergonomic” in the dictionary, you’d be given the following definition: Designed to minimize physical effort and discomfort and hence maximize efficiency.

While you're looking at an ergonomic office chair, consider one that is also been rated for 24 hour use. These office chairs have been designed to withstand prolonged usage and keep you comfortable during long sessions.

To be considered ergonomic, chairs should have a series of adjustable elements, including:

• Seat Height - Allowing you to position yourself at the correct height in accordance with your desk and monitor.
• Seat Pan Depth – Choose how far forward or back you sit, enabling the thighs to be fully supported without cutting off circulation at the knees.
• Back Rest Height
• Swivel Base – Allows for easy manoeuvrability.
• Back Angle – Allows the back to recline – using this feature throughout the day allows the backrest to take some of the weight from your upper body, reducing the pressure on your discs and muscles.
• Seat Tilt – Allows correct positioning of the pelvis.
• Arm Support – This allows you to correct the positioning of arms in relation to your desk height and keyboard.
• Lumbar Support– Ensures that the natural ‘S’ shape of the spine is fully supported.
• Headrest – Ensuring that the head and neck to be properly supported.

Read our article on this topic for a complete run down on the ergonomics of an office chair.

These adjustments allow for complete sitting control and support, which can help lessen the dangers of sitting and relieve back and neck pains.

Everyone is different and therefore one chair isn’t suitable for everyone. Fully-adjustable ergonomic chairs can be altered to suit each person’s personal sitting requirements.

4) Practice Yoga

Simple yoga-based stretches align your spine and help to improve extension and flexion in your back.

A great place to start is with the ‘cow’ and ‘cat’ poses. Start on all fours with your back flat and your eyes focused on the floor. As you exhale, round your spine ‘like a cat’, dropping your head and tucking your chin toward your chest. Inhale, then arch your back toward the floor, lifting your hips, tailbone and chest towards the ceiling, looking upwards as well.

According to the founder of Athletes Yoga in Tempe, Arizona following this sequence two or three times a week will keep your back strong.

Let us know your thoughts on this subject, by commenting. Do you have any experiences with problems caused by sitting down? Do you have any more tips to add to our list?