Is Your Desk Work Killing You? New Medical Research Says — Maybe!

Do you run a small business which requires you to sit at a desk for long periods? Perhaps you’re a freelancer working from a desk at home, day in, day out? If you have a sedentary job, you may be working to the detriment of your health.

This is the finding of a study by the Annals of Internal Medicine. The research examined the association between sedentary lifestyles and mortality. It focused on adults aged 45 and over. Almost 8,000 adults participated in the study.

Sedentary time among the participants was measured using a hip-mounted accelerometer. The research concluded that sitting over prolonged, uninterrupted periods is associated with ‘all-cause’ mortality.

So, Is Your Desk Work Killing You?

The conclusion of the Annals of Internal Medicine study is that physical activity guidelines should be issued, targeted at “reducing and interrupting sedentary time to reduce risk for death.”

The research may have focused on the over 45’s but it sends a message to all who have inactive jobs.

It reiterates the importance for small business owners, freelancers, or anyone who works at a desk and is not active during their working day, to regularly get up from their chair and exercise frequently.

Wellness Programs

The research underlines the importance of companies implementing a wellness program into the cultures of their businesses. From starting a running club after work, to encouraging healthy eating habits at lunchtime, wellness programs are a great way to motivate employees into becoming more active and healthier and to help offset the potential damage to health their sedentary job could create.

Deskercize

You might run your own business and work on your own, or work in an office as part of a team. Either way, just about anyone can carry out exercises at their desks to ensure they get their bodies moving throughout the day.

Simply stretching and shuffling about at your desk can be a great way to help prevent ailments and health issues building up as a result of a sedentary job.

Back Pain Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Is Your Desk Work Killing You? New Medical Research Says — Maybe!" was first published on Small Business Trends