Why an Office Health Overhaul Is Good for Backs and for Business
Sitting behind a desk all day can sometimes feel soul crushing, but science suggests it may actually be killing you. I wrote this branded content for Staples, who participated in Mediaplanet’s 2018 “Office Health and Safety” issue. The article was distributed within the weekend edition of USA Today and later promoted across the brand’s social media channels.
From group exercise classes to ergonomic workstations, employers have been tasked with taking the health and well-being of their employees seriously.
Recent studies by the CDC estimate that physical inactivity contributes to more than 300,000 deaths annually in the United States, yet most employers require employees sit for extended periods of time. In fact, the average office worker spends 5 hours and 41 minutes every single day sitting down at work.
“Almost 100 percent of people who sit for six hours or more every day are going to have some kind of discomfort or injury in their back, neck or upper extremities,” explains Dr. Scott Bautch, president of the American Chiropractic Association’s Council on Occupational Health. “It’s like if you’re a runner and you run a mile, your shoes aren’t really that important. But if you’re a runner and you run five miles, your shoes become incredibly important.”
Bad office furniture can affect more than just an employee’s physical health — it can actually impact a business’s bottom line.
“When we’re in an uncomfortable chair, we become less productive over time. Even though we may sit there for 8 hours, we might only be getting 4 to 6 hours of work in,” he explains. “If you create a healthy work environment, you’ll have more productive workers in that they feel better.”
There are several less obvious reasons why sitting is bad for our health, including a rapid drop in a circulating blood enzyme called lipase that is responsible for breaking down fat. One study puts this drop at 90 percent, a near-complete shut down. In addition, electrical activity in our leg muscles radically decreases the longer we sit, and that means that our metabolic rate slows to a crawl, to about one calorie per minute. And one of the most dangerous outcomes of sitting for extended periods is that our bodies become less sensitive to the insulin our pancreas is busy producing, and that skyrockets the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
In response, employers have been tasked with creating ergonomic workspaces that promote employee health and well-being. And while he believes bucking this trend starts with smarter design, Dr. Bautch encourages employees to take their health into their own hands.
“No matter how good an office is, humans are meant to move. We have to get motion whenever we can, even if that’s just opening your toes up and stretching your arms.”
He recommends punctuating the workday with microbreaks: regular, small, biologically meaningful breaks from being stuck in one position for too long.
“Think about how you can add as much activity to your day that rests the muscles you need to rest and engages the muscles you need to engage. And think about doing that all day in a mindful way.”