Prolonged sitting at work

Incorporating breaks and exercise into your working day

Ergonomisch werken

Nowadays, prolonged sitting is often compared to smoking because of its adverse health effects. It can lead to symptoms such as back pain, weakened circulation and even serious conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Fortunately, there are simple ways to incorporate more exercise and breaks into your working day. In this article, we explain why this matters and provide handy tips to get started right away.

Table of contents

The effects of prolonged sitting

One of the most common reasons for health problems at work is prolonged sitting. According to research, an average office worker works only 8 hours a day, which can be detrimental to both physical and mental health.

  • Impaired circulation: Sitting still for long periods can slow down blood circulation, which can cause swelling and an increased risk of blood clots.
  • Back and neck pain: Incorrect sitting posture, in particular, overloads the lower back and can cause chronic symptoms.
  • Lower energy burning: When you are inactive for long periods of time, your body burns fewer calories, which can cause weight gain in the long term....

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Why are breaks crucial?

Taking short breaks throughout the day has several benefits:

  • Physical recovery: Regular exercise prevents muscles from stiffening or becoming overworked.
  • Mental fatigue: Taking a short break from work reduces stress and allows your mind to recharge.
  • Better focus: short breaks contribute to better focus, which then allows you to work more efficiently and with more focus.

A practical approach is the ‘20-20-20 method’, where you look at something 20 metres away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. This reduces eye fatigue caused by screen use.

Simple ways to incorporate more movement

You can make small adjustments to your work routine to keep moving. For example:

  • Get up regularly: Make sure you get some exercise every 30 minutes, for example by taking a short walk or doing some stretching exercises.
  • Take the stairs: Choose the stairs instead of the lift to increase your daily activity.
  • Standing meetings: Standing meetings not only promotes exercise, but can often lead to more effective meetings.
  • Walking during phone calls: Use phone calls as an opportunity to take a few steps instead of staying at your desk.
  • Increase movement in the office: Increase movement in the office by placing shared facilities, such as printers or waste bins, in a central location so that you have to walk more often.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that prolonged sitting is detrimental to your health, there are plenty of ways to change this. By deliberately taking short breaks and creating small moments of movement, it is possible to significantly increase your wellbeing. It doesn’t have to be complex: simple actions such as getting up more often, taking the stairs or going for a walk can already make a significant difference.
Create active practice into a habit and encourage your colleagues to follow suit as well. This way, together you will create a healthier and more efficient working environment.

Would you like a screening of your current workstations, or would you rather have a risk analysis of a specific workstation or screen work?
Then you have come to the right place. We offer screenings and workshops to companies keen to optimise the ergonomics of their employees.

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