Your Chair, the Silent Assassin

Caught this a little while ago on Mashable:

I thought it was an interesting way to put together an infographic to warn us on how our sedentary lifestyles are impacting our health. Something to distribute to your workplace wellness coordinator?

[click image for better view]

Sitting is Killing You
Via: Medical Billing And Coding

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Andrew Krzmarzick

Got to get this in the hands of the First Lady and the “Let’s Move” initiative!

As for me, I’m going for a walk….

Andrea Baker

We all should garden more and then be outside to tend our gardens. Park farther away when possible and go for that extra walk. Take the stairs when possible and not the elevator. Now, none of the above applies to me because I lost the good parts of my knees years ago and so I’ve got my eyes on the handicap placard for the days when both my knees and back do not cooperate. The Army got me fit, then it broke me.

Andrea Baker

Oh and I cannot wait until we finish our move. I got to get my bike out of storage. Spring time is time to ride!

John Bordeaux

Anyone want an office chair? It’s in my garage now, has been ever since the NYT article last month. Now working in a stand-up home office, occasionally leaning on a barstool.

That did not come out right.

Carol Davison

Osama Bin Lazyboy? Carlos the couch?

Andrea my feet were broken by the USAF. But I got a Siberan Husky to make me exercise. If I could get myself down to 2 cup of kibble a day I will have a wasp wait like him. Right now I have a wasp…wrist. I too would like one of those handicapped stickers for the bad days when I don’t want to climb 8 sets of stairs! BUt in MD you must be 100% disabled to get one. Why I would be going to a commuter lot if I were 100% disabled is beyond me.

Andre Blackman

I agree it’s the little things that we can do (e.g. taking the stairs, parking further away) that go a long way with this. Micro-movements can be better adopted and seem less scary. I’m interested to see how more workplace wellness programs look into this stuff.

Tom Bullington

Here’s another issue – standing all day long and not being able to sit. I know someone who works as a bank teller. Her boss rounded up all of the chairs last week as punishment for the tellers not making their sales quota. So now they have to stand all day, even those who work in the drive through window.

Big surprise – everyone’s legs and backs are now killing them.

Janet Wischnia

That is why, if you have to sit all day for your job, it is a good idea to get up every now and then and walk up and down the stairs, stop by the water cooler (with the added bonus of filling up on your 8+ daily glasses of water), go to the bathroom (as a result of the water cooler), do some stretches at your desk, and invest in a comfortable, ergonomic chair to help improve your posture and reduce the amount of pain and suffering often endured while sitting all day at a desk.

Alicia Mazzara

Considering all these health impacts, it would be great if organizations started giving employees the option of getting a standing desk. Maybe even make standing desks standard? Of course there should still be chairs available for when people get tired, but even cutting that 8 hours of sitting in half would make a big difference.

Dannielle Blumenthal

I saw this too. What a graphic. Even though it took me forever to print, and even then I only got the first two panels. Wow.

Carol Davison

Tom-At the First Bank of Assininity the floggings will continue until morale improves. Did anyone call that manager’s boss?

Gadi Ben-Yehuda

I can’t believe we’re all falling for the propaganda of Big Stand. I know the Standing Industry has deep, deep pockets (all the easier to reach into, since they’re not sitting!), and I know that the last thing any of them want is for us to take this sitting down – which is what makes them so formidable. Once we stand up to them, they’ve already won.

Tricia Adkins

I like the graphic under “Sitting Makes Us Fat” that shows someone holding what looks like a beer and a cheese steak. Sitting is making us fat? Really?? I can look around my office right now and find several different places I can get a quick sugar and refined carb fix while I take my quick “walking breaks.” We have one empty cubical near me that is dedicated to junk food. I can tell you that I didn’t have those options available to me when I worked in retail or at a bank, places where I also spent most of the day standing. Sorry, but I don’t buy it.

Greg Mt.Joy

@Tricia: nobody said it was just sitting. The food isn’t helping either.

@Gadi: Dude, you are hilarious. Well done, sir.

@Carol: Huskies are indeed an excellent source of exercise. There will never be a day they don’t want to go for a walk, and there will never be a walk where they don’t try to make you run.

Overall, an excellent, if depressing and scary, graphic. Drinking lots of water helps, if only because you have no choice but to make multiple trips to the restroom.

Gina Smith

Having a standing desk does not have to be expensive if you innovate. I have added a monitor/speaker stand to my desk to sit my keyboard and mouse on, my monitor tilts, so I am able to stand most of the day. I still have to sit to write, but that’s about the only time. At least 50% of my day is standing.
.

Carol Davison

Finally got a smart phone and recorded my exercise. I regularly walk 2 miles daily, along with climbing both up and down 12 staircases, and down 7 to lunch. I asked my Dr. what some of my muscles were called and he asked if I were going to beat him up. I assured him that I only used my powers for good. My vet asked if I lifted weights. No I replied. I only play, play, play, with my husky dog. Additionally we kick the soccer ball around the house at night, and spend 4 hours at the dog park playing 1/2 fetch. I throw the ball, and he brings it halfway back. I walked 1/2 way, bend over and overhand it to him. He knows I’m the chubby one. If I don’t throw enough he barks at me. So my friend Patrick took pity on me and started throwing the ball too. Now he gets barked at… My friends tease that Tater is the most indulged dog at the park but I’m very proud of it.