Simple habits should be resumed, particularly in the office, to capitalize on our physical and psychological well-being.
Each year, the Public Health France (Ministry of Health) barometer measures the level of sedentary lifestyle and physical activity of the population. The figures are worrying: 20% of French people spend more than 7 hours a day in a sitting position. A third have a high sedentary lifestyle (more than 8 hours) and an insufficient – or even non-existent – level of physical activity. 95% of adults are at risk of deterioration in their health, due to lack of physical activity and/or too much time spent sitting.
However, spending long hours sitting in front of a screen – in the office or teleworking – or in meetings has serious repercussions on physical and mental health, with increased risks of chronic diseases.
Nowadays, it is no longer just accidents, falls or injuries that pose the greatest health risks at work, it is more immobility.
Physical and psychological consequences
Studies show that prolonged sitting slows blood circulation, promotes the accumulation of fat in the arteries, causes a progressive loss of muscle mass and generates musculoskeletal disorders. Chronic pathologies can develop among “long-term seated workers”: cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancers, etc.
The effects are not only physical. Lack of movement also contributes to poor mental health. Sedentary employees are more prone to anxiety, depression and an overall decline in motivation. These risks are increased with teleworking times, which promote social isolation and hyperconnection, but also with car journeys.
At the same time, the time available for leisure is not necessarily oriented towards sport. The two cumulative phenomena – sedentary lifestyle and low physical activity – potentiate the problems.
In 2019, Futura Sciences already presented the modeling of a future colleague, on whom postures and behaviors at work had deleterious repercussions.
What are the solutions for moving more on a daily basis?
Many companies have understood the health risks linked to a sedentary lifestyle, and are developing initiatives to raise awareness, but also to take action again and get moving!
On a collective level, the first lever consists of rethink workspaces. Companies can equip themselves with height-adjustable desks, allowing them to work standing or in a semi-seated position. Others use seats that create movement, such as balls, or even treadmills coupled with a work space – a solution which, however, remains anecdotal. Endless meetings in front of a screen or in an overheated room can be replaced by “walked meetings”, a concept worthy of Aristotle, which is increasingly appealing to managers.
Many companies include spaces for practicing a sporting activity – accessible to employees outside of working hours, or make it easier to sign up for a gym. They are also developing a range of service providers who offer active breaks: a yoga session, a stretching workshop or even a simple group moment to do some mobility exercises can break the morbid circle of immobility.
Finally, focusing on challenges or collective programs around physical activity can motivate employees in a more fun way. A department or a group of colleagues can take on challenges such as “10,000 steps per day”, or register for sporting challenges or competitions (hikes, races, regattas, etc.), some of which even have a solidarity purpose, benefit of an NGO or association.
On an individual basis, the ideal would be to follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO): all adults should have, during the week, moderate physical activity of at least 150 minutes (and ideally 300 minutes) or intense activity of at least 75 minutes. This represents between 25 minutes and 1 hour of walking, for example, per day.
If this is not the case, you must at least take action to cut from time to time and re-include small actions in your often busy day, but which can have big effects:
– Get up every 30 minutes to 1 hour, if necessary by programming a reminder (phone, connected watch, etc.). Take the opportunity to stretch, walk for a few minutes and even drink a glass of water.
– Rehabilitate the stairs : preferring the stairs to the elevator, even if only every other time, is an easy habit that can quickly increase the level of physical activity (especially if you work in La Défense!).
– Call while walking : as with the meeting, we can transform each phone call into an opportunity to walk.
– Make journeys active : systematically favor walking for short journeys, go to work by bike, or get off a station earlier when using public transport.
A sedentary lifestyle has taken hold in a pernicious way, but it is not inevitable. In our daily lives, the main thing is to succeed in finding as many opportunities as possible to make them moments of movement.
