Skip to main content

Reduce Your Sitting Time - Get a Standing Desk!

If you think that you have been sitting too much, think again. Recent researches and studies have found that sitting is bad for our health. If you think that work should have been done by sitting, think again. Some extensive studies have suggest to work while we are standing. This might seems just small matter, overall we are sitting to avoid exhaustion while working, aren't we? Well, again, we have to reconsider this one.



Our body is created to move, with numerous joints that allow us to flexibly moving around. My TED learning today has taught me about these facts:

The human body is designed for movement, and our skeleton includes 360 joints. More than 250 of those joints are able to move in more than one direction. This unique structure gives the human body the ability to perform a wide variety of movements. (Dalkilinc, 2015)

Given these facts, it's actually against the nature to perform immobile activity for too long. There some quite dangerous effects that it does to our body: sitting for too long might lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and lungs problem. Don't you realize when you sit for too long, that you will feel dizzy when you wake up? It's reasonable, when we are sitting, the enzyme lipoprotein lipase that breaks down fats in the blood will loss more than 75% of its ability! (Vlahos, 2011).


Standing is the new sitting
So do you have to do all the paper works when running or jogging by the river? No simply working by standing might help. Some good news: working while standing might even help prevent ageing problems. Keep standing, stay young. Stay young, keep standing!



The perk of working while standing is actually it reduces our sitting time. If you notice that fat is growing on your stomach since you get your first job, now stand up! Seriously, standing while working has the benefit to reduce risk of obesity (and getting those fat is not a sign of prosperity). If you would like to argue that you have been going to the gym to tackle this problem, then prepare to face these arguments: excessive sitting is lethal activity. The problem is in sitting, not just about the number of workouts you do.

Sitting, it would seem, is an independent pathology. Being sedentary for nine hours a day at the office is bad for your health whether you go home and watch television afterward or hit the gym. (Vlahos, 2011)
While over-exertion is unwise, but studies have discovered that vigorous exercise protects against coronary heart disease (CHD) (Paffenbarger, 2001). In the researches written by Paffenbarger (2001) it also noted the differences between active and sedentary jobs. In the data recorder during 1949-1958, postmen (who keeps going around the block deliver your mails when mail is still a hit) is healthier than the government clerks (who just sitting still in a routine manner).

Yeah, unfortunately many of us believe that sitting still is associated with being focus to our work right? Imagine how many institutions that believe sitting still beyond computer screens is all about productivity, while it is actually contributing to the increasing patients of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancers, and shortens life expectancy! You can even now speak out your voices to those teachers who scold you for not sitting still in the seat. "Sorry mam, but recent researches have suggested me to keep moving around to help me stay healthy!" If your teachers still don't hear you, print this paper.

Main References
TED-Ed,. (2015). Why sitting is bad for you - Murat Dalkilinç. Retrieved 16 December 2015, from http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-sitting-is-bad-for-you-murat-dalkilinc

Other References
Dillner, L. (2014). Is sitting down bad for my health?. the Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/sep/15/is-sitting-down-bad-for-my-health

Joseph Stromberg, F. (2014). Five Health Benefits of Standing Desks. Smithsonian. Retrieved 16 December 2015, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-health-benefits-standing-desks-180950259/?no-ist

Lee, I., Shiroma, E., Lobelo, F., Puska, P., Blair, S., & Katzmarzyk, P. (2012). Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy. The Lancet, 380(9838), 219-229. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61031-9

Paffenbarger, R. (2001). A history of physical activity, cardiovascular health and longevity: the scientific contributions of Jeremy N Morris, DSc, DPH, FRCP. International Journal Of Epidemiology, 30(5), 1184-1192. doi:10.1093/ije/30.5.1184

Vlahos, J. (2011). Is Sitting a Lethal Activity?. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 16 December 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-t.html?_r=0

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Korea National University of Arts: Chic and Trendy!

I looked for something to travel, which is unusual and less touristy. Then my friend came from Busan and he told me to visit one of his friend attending an art university. That sounds cool, and I just realize that the university he was talking about, Korea National University of Arts, located just some meters away from my own university, Kyung Hee University. So now I know that Kyung Hee University, Korea National University of Arts and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies were located in one neighborhood. His friend was having graduation exhibition, so I though it's gonna be nice to see the works as well. We stop by a flower shop (it's a tradition here to give flower to someone graduated or having their work exhibited), then we head to her campus. With a really nice sunny weather, it's a great time to go out and having sunbathing in the midst of the winter. I was so surprised, the campus is great. It has nice contemporary architecture and landscape. I really like th

Trip to Bukchon in Seoul

As the end of the year is getting closer, I get some holiday from my Professor so I can spend my time with my friends. They coming over to Korea, so I want to accompany and show them around Seoul to get the best experience ^^ The very basic of the tour is starting from around the downtown area in Gwanghwamun. Showing them the traditional sense of Korea has made them being mesmerized for the Korean way of beauty. Despite I have been living for about 10 months in Seoul, sometimes there are always new things to discover in the city. It's always amazing to know that Seoul has stories from its citizen either waiting to be told or to be heard. For me, this time it's about Bukchon area. Despite this is so mainstream destination for tourist, but Bukchon is interesting for its Hanok architecture (traditional house) and local genius for its technology achievement. The pattern that was used on the exterior, and the way they work out the interior of the house is beautiful to me.

Why Work Doesn't Happen at Work: A Blog Review

Just like education doesn't happen at school, so do work: it never happen at the office. The reason was pointed out really well by Jason Fried in his TED talk on October 2010 at TEDxMidwest. He bluntly just said that manager and meetings were the two suspects of this case! Wow, really? But we always think that these two are the crucial components of modern office days, don't we? We almost never hearing someone saying that office is the place where things get done. Office is just like casual place to meet you colleagues, talk and chit chat over works, then mostly you left out with piles of papers undone. Well, not always the case, but it's frequently happening and no one seems like really put their concern about it, right? I've been asking people this question for about 10 years: "Where do you go when you really need to get something done?" I'll hear things like, the porch, the deck, the kitchen. I'll hear things like an extra room in the house, the bas