Sitting Vs Standing At Work

I was emailed an article by my Physiotherapy work colleague Wade Brennan that discusses Sitting Vs Standing at work.  This article discusses the issues surrounding both sitting and standing in the workplace and offers some solutions to both of these.

Rather than going into too much detail about the article, I have summarized the key points below.

Facts Related To Sitting

• Sitting for more than 1 hour can result in physiological changes that leads to the deposit of fat in adipose tissue rather than these being metabolized by muscle.
• Research is unclear as to whether prolonged sitting causes an increased risk in one developing coronary heart disease and kidney disease or whether people with these health problems sit more than healthy people.
• Sitting uses less energy than standing.
• Sitting helps to stabilize the body and fine motor tasks are more easily performed.

Facts Related To Standing

• Standing is more tiring than sitting.
• Standing for men with ischemic heart disease incrases the progression of carotid atherosclerosis because of the additional load on the circulatory system.
• Prolonged standing increases the risks of varicose veins.
• The performance of many fine motor skills also is less good when people stand rather than sit.
• Standing requires 20% more energy than sitting.

The Bottom Line

• Sit to do computer work.
• Sit using a height adjustable, downward tilting keyboard tray for best work posture.
• Every 20 minutes stand for 2 minutes and MOVE.
• Simply standing is insufficient.
• Movement is important to get blood circulation through the muscles.
• Build frequent movement variety into the normal workday.

For those of you who would like to read the full article, please click here. 

This blog post was written by osteopath Heath Williams of Principle Four Osteopathy.  Principle Four Osteopathy is located in the heart of the Melbourne City CBD and Docklands.  Book you appointment by calling 03 9670 9290 or booking online at www.principlefourosteopathy.com.