As more of us take on desk-based roles, sedentary working patterns are becoming increasingly common, along with their associated health risks.
With the rise of office jobs, remote work, and digital communication, employees often find themselves sitting for extended periods. This shift towards a more sedentary lifestyle in the workplace poses significant health hazards.
In this article, we explore the risks and dangers of sedentary work and outline simple strategies employers can use to mitigate these risks. We emphasize the importance of fostering a culture of trust to enhance wellbeing and boost productivity.
What is Sedentary Working?
Sedentary work refers to jobs that involve prolonged physical inactivity, typically characterized by sitting or minimal movement. This type of work is increasingly common across various industries, especially in roles that require extensive computer use, desk work, or extended screen time. Many workers are believed to spend around 6-8 hours sitting each day.
According to a recent study, workers who primarily sit at work have a 16% higher risk of mortality from all causes and a 34% higher risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease.
To mitigate this increased risk, researchers estimate that individuals who sit extensively at work need to engage in an additional 15 to 30 minutes of physical activity per day to lower their risk to the same level as those who are less sedentary.
Understanding the extent and impact of sedentary work is crucial for addressing its associated health risks and fostering a healthier work environment.
Health Risks of Sedentary Working
Sedentary work is associated with a myriad of health concerns, ranging from cardiovascular diseases and musculoskeletal issues to obesity and chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
Understanding these health risks underscores the importance of promoting more active and ergonomic work environments.
Productivity & Sedentary Work
Sedentary work not only contributes to physical health issues but also affects workers mentally, potentially reducing their productivity.
Our bodies follow ultradian rhythms, recurring cycles lasting 90-120 minutes within a 24-hour period. During the first hour, physiological measures such as heart rate, hormonal levels, muscle tension, and brain-wave activity increase, boosting alertness. However, these measures typically decline after about an hour. Around the 90- to 120-minute mark, the body requires a period of rest and recovery, though this varies by individual.
While optimal performance often involves working for about 90 minutes followed by a 20-minute break, many individuals feel constrained and unable to synchronize their work patterns with these natural cycles. This mismatch can lead to heightened fatigue and diminished productivity.
When physical needs go unmet, performance declines, and productivity suffers. A tell-tale sign of this is during lengthy meetings where participants start fidgeting as their attention wanes—a clear indicator from the body that movement and a break are needed.
The Benefits of Breaks
Despite the clear benefits of taking regular breaks to combat the health and productivity issues associated with sedentary work, many employees still feel unable to do so. They often face pressure to remain at their desks throughout the workday, sometimes even eating lunch there.
In some instances, senior management has shared anecdotes about marathon meetings where participants compete to endure without breaks, viewing this endurance as a badge of honour. Such behaviour fosters an unhealthy workplace culture where employees feel compelled to prove their productivity by remaining glued to their desks.
Organizations must prioritize encouraging their staff to attend to their physical needs, as neglecting these needs can override their ability to focus, concentrate, and contribute effectively. This results in suboptimal levels of performance.
Following a brief recovery break, employees experience heightened energy levels. This increase is not only physical, as their physical needs have been addressed, but also mental, as their brains have had an opportunity to recharge.
Incorporating regular breaks represents a strategic investment in maintaining peak performance throughout the day. By taking short breaks approximately every 90 minutes to engage in different activities that enable people to switch off and disengage, individuals return refreshed and ready for another high-performing session of work.
Building a Culture of Trust
Employers and managers play a crucial role in fostering a workplace culture that promotes physical movement and trusts employees to know when they need a break.
Many companies invest heavily in workplace wellbeing, promoting positive messages and implementing initiatives aimed at improving work-life balance and overall wellness. However, this effort can be undermined when managers excessively monitor their teams’ time and productivity.
To truly embrace these initiatives, companies must not only endorse them in principle but also embody them in practice, starting from the top levels of management. Building trust between managers and employees involves leading by example—taking breaks themselves—and dispelling misconceptions such as the belief that visible work equates to productivity.
Creating a supportive environment where employees feel empowered to manage their own time and well-being is essential for fostering a healthy and productive workplace culture.
Encouraging employees to take brief recovery breaks multiple times a day is an economical strategy for maintaining consistently high performance. This practice not only enhances consistent performance at work but also boosts employees’ energy levels, potentially improving their overall quality of life outside of work. This approach incurs no additional costs yet yields significant benefits in productivity and well-being.
Conclusion
Addressing the challenges of sedentary work and its associated problems doesn’t need to be a daunting task for companies. By implementing straightforward measures to encourage employee activity and having leaders set a positive example, even small changes can make a significant impact.
These seemingly minor adjustments play a critical role in cultivating trust between employees and leaders, nurturing an environment where Psychological Safety thrives. This atmosphere enables individuals to take essential breaks without concerns about judgment or negative consequences.
Vicky Smith is Senior Consultant at WorkingWell.
