Sitting at a desk all day is just as bad for your health as smoking a pack of cigarettes.
Did that get your attention as much as it got mine?
For someone who has never smoked a cigarette in her life, hearing this made me sit up… Actually no, it made me stand up.
It’s a sad fact that the average Australian adult sits for 9 hours a day1, when research about the negative health impacts of sitting for prolonged periods has existed since the 1700’s2.
As part of my January ‘Whole30‘ health challenge, I decided to flick the office chair and fashion a stand up desk. With a sheet of timber and the engineering expertise of a very handy dad, it was a pretty simple task (I simply drew a little sketch on the back of an old envelope, and a wooden structure magically appeared outside my room!).
I have to admit, the first couple of weeks were tough going. The work day seemed to drag on and on, but after a month, I can comfortably stand for most of the day. And I have noticed my neck and shoulders are considerably less stiff than after a normal working week.
I now challenge you, Slim Shady, to please STAND UP!
Resources
1. Health Check: Sitting versus standing.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/health-check-sitting-versus-standing-20140818-105jfq.html
2. Bernardino Ramazzini http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1446785/
Bare Hill 