Homo Sapiens Becomes Homo Sedens

Still sitting or up and about?

It has long been known and proven that sitting for too long is harmful.

Books, newspapers, and journals ask: “Is Sitting the New Smoking?” or “Will Sitting kill You?” But what is the relevant message? And what can I do about it?

Let’s assume we’re sitting most of the day while:

• eating;
• riding the bus or train or driving to work;
• working at our desk for 6–8 hours;
• lunching in the cafeteria;
• riding back home after work; and
• spending snug evenings at home on the couch in front of our TV, computer, or smartphone, or out with friends.

Now one or the other of you might rightly pipe up and announce proudly that you ride a bike to work, often walk instead of drive, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and go to the gym 2–3 evenings per week.

But studies show that many people do not meet these minimum requirements (Rütten, A. and Pfeiffer, K. (Eds.), 2016).

While I'm writing this article, I have been shifting positions—unconsciously at first—in my office chair. Aha, my body is sending me signals to get out of this forced posture and be active. That’s a start! Being aware of my body, in this particular case my tense back, is a good reason to stand up for a moment and do some balancing exercises. If only my sense of duty and the deadline for this article weren’t breathing down my neck. . .

Still, I stand up briefly, inhale deeply, and relax my tensed up body. I look into the distance to relieve my eyes, too, and enjoy a nice stretch. Then I can sit down at my desk again, fully energized and knowing I've done my body a favor.

That felt great—give it a try!

If you don’t know how or prefer to be guided, check out our Pausenexpress® tool box!

Of course, a short stretch like this cannot replace regular exercise that boosts the cardio-vascular system or builds muscle. But they help us cater to our bodily needs and counteract work-related physical strains such as shoulder and neck pain.

Seated activities dominate our day to day work and private lives. Nonetheless, we can all improve this situation in small ways to keep our musculoskeletal system and thus our whole body healthy.

Universität Hamburg supports you with a broad spectrum of health promotion and protection measures. Find an online overview of what we offer at Health Compass. If you need assistance or have further questions, contact us at gesundheitsmanagement"AT"uni-hamburg.de.

We offer videos about healthy sitting in the workplace and at the computer. Learn how to adjust your office chair correctly, get ergonomic advice, and find out how to procure work aids such as ergonomic desks. Come join our preventive training program developed in cooperation with University Sports!

Pausenexpress®—brain breaks at the workplace—are now available at 12 locations. Prevention courses are offered on campus and the Pausenexpress® tool box provides explanatory videos for short exercise breaks.

Tips for being active during work:

• Stand up when you make phone calls.
• Hold short stand-up meetings.
• Take a walk during lunch break.
• Skip the elevator and take the stairs, or ride only part of the way up then climb the rest of the stairs.
• Include regular booster breaks.

The following page provides useful details on correct sitting positions and computer workplace ergonomics.