Your Office Chair is Killing You
This is a topic I have thought about a lot during my Life but not in any systematic way, really.
I don't like "desk jobs" and one of the reasons I hated school as a kid was being forced to sit at a desk all day and get bored in classes a) in which I had no interest b) had an interest but was (usually) the brightest kid in the class and the one squirming with their hand up all the time to say " I know the answer!" to some question of the teacher. A lot of it was TORTURE, being forced to sit all day like that. Most of the other kids felt the same way, and wow, the joy when recess time came and we could get out to the playground!
My different jobs have involved different levels of physical activity. I was happiest when I worked on Governors Island in the 1970's, and my job gave me an excuse to eschew the phone and walk all over the place to different offices or just around the island as I wanted to. ( This also let me walk off a great deal of the frustration that came with this job).
Anyway, the whole topic of how we stay fit and trim is a vexing one ( and they also berate us these days to include weight resistance training, something I have always done anyway on a daily basis to keep my strength up, noticing that when I don't, it increases my tendency to get depressed or anxious).
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Play
00:00 / 00:00
-
A salesman demonstrates how to use a treadmill desk (Inhabitat/flickr)
James A. Levine, co-director of the Mayo Clinic/Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative, author of Get Up!: Why Your Chair is Killing You and What You Can Do About It (Palgrave
Macmillan, 2014), and the inventor of the treadmill desk, explains why
sitting is bad for health and longevity and how to add more movement to
your workday.
What We Learned from the Inventor of the Treadmill Desk
- There are a number of problems associated with chronic sitting: diabetes, hypertension, cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression, back pain.
- Dr. James Levine’s goal is only 3 hours of sitting a day. He even stood at his microphone in our studio!
Our guest wrote a book about the health dangers of sitting, and just convinced Brian to do the interview standing up. pic.twitter.com/UF7IJZbkR6
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) July 29, 2014
- The ideal speed for your treadmill desk is 1.1 miles per hour. Keep in mind, the average walking speed is 3.1 miles per hour, so 1 mph is pretty leisurely.
- What if I work out every morning before work – does that counteract the effects of sitting at the office? Dr. Levine says the benefits of a daily run are entirely offset by a day of sitting. He suggests starting by standing up at least once every hour and taking a stroll around the office.
More advice: "Stand up, point, and tell off your chair. Say 'you are not going to sentence me any more!'" Hm.
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) July 29, 2014
- Callers who use a treadmill desk said they experience… higher levels of energy throughout the day and after work, improved focus and attention, heightened productivity (Levine says corporate studies show productivity jumps 10%to 15% with treadmill desks).
- What about standing desks? Exercise balls? Just as we’re not designed to sit for 13 hours a day, we’re not meant to stand for that long either. Standing creates other problems like varicose veins and lower back pain, and while exercise balls are good for your upper core, Dr. Levine sees them as a gateway to the treadmill desk.
- It’s not really about the treadmill – the key is building movement into your day. People have an innate drive to move, and enabling that drive helps us learn and work better.
- Kids need movement too! Levine designed a school that allows children to move around the classrooms freely. Teachers reported improved concentration, and students’ scores on state tests improved by about 10%. (And no, little boys aren’t more fidgety than little girls!)
- What do you do to add movement to your day? Here are some suggestions from listeners, but feel free to add your own in the comments: take a daily walk during your lunch break, do lunges with your baby/pet/weights while watching TV, weed the garden, walk the bridges…
Guests:
Dr. James Levine- Leave a comment
-
RSS Feed for Comments
Comments [35]
It's not good for us but we can
condition our children to sit from kindergarten through 12th grade, 7
plus hours a day, as we have done for generations. (?)
Can you picture teaching a sixth grade math lesson with students jiggling and twizzling about for the 80 minute class period ? No ? If a student is fooling around with a chair, we are not allowed to remove the chair and ask them to stand, as a corrective for even 5 minutes, because it is regarded as "corporal punishment" ( PC )
Good !
Then you can imagine how productive these workplaces are.
Can you picture teaching a sixth grade math lesson with students jiggling and twizzling about for the 80 minute class period ? No ? If a student is fooling around with a chair, we are not allowed to remove the chair and ask them to stand, as a corrective for even 5 minutes, because it is regarded as "corporal punishment" ( PC )
Good !
Then you can imagine how productive these workplaces are.
Jul. 30 2014 03:49 PM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
Per the misleading title of the piece - the office chair itself may be harming our health, if not killing us.
Up until January of this year, all US furniture was manufactured to meet a California flammability standard (TB-117) by incorporating toxic flame retardants into the foam. (Really -look at the label under the seat.) I'm looking for a new office chair - for the 3 hours I'll spend sitting :)- that's flame retardant free (label would shaw it meets TB117-2013) but can't find anything. Would love to hear interviews on this subject and sources for flame-retardant-free furniture, particulalry office chairs.
Thanks!!
Up until January of this year, all US furniture was manufactured to meet a California flammability standard (TB-117) by incorporating toxic flame retardants into the foam. (Really -look at the label under the seat.) I'm looking for a new office chair - for the 3 hours I'll spend sitting :)- that's flame retardant free (label would shaw it meets TB117-2013) but can't find anything. Would love to hear interviews on this subject and sources for flame-retardant-free furniture, particulalry office chairs.
Thanks!!
Jul. 30 2014 11:32 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
I set my timer for 30 min. each
time I sit to read. When it goes off, I get up and take a walk around
the house then sit and repeat. This also helps my eyesight since I
adjust my focus frequently.
Jul. 30 2014 10:38 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
I have osteoarthritis in my left knee; constantly walking while at my desk would mean agony for the rest of the day.
What's a solution that doesn't require impact on the knees?
What's a solution that doesn't require impact on the knees?
Jul. 30 2014 08:56 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
Callers, PLEASE get to the point immediately... It is not necessary to say "oh, hi, how are you?", when your call is taken.
What exactly do you expect the host to say?
I initially though Leonard Lopate sounded overly cranky when this happened, but now completely understand the sentiment.
What exactly do you expect the host to say?
I initially though Leonard Lopate sounded overly cranky when this happened, but now completely understand the sentiment.
Jul. 30 2014 08:05 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
I am a great believer in moving!
I have a bunch of jobs and have to hike up and down subway stairs from
one gig to another. In the subway, I rarely fight for a seat and prefer
to stand up, clutching the pole for balance. I also teach public
speaking part-time in college, and I'm always getting my students to get
up and move around - to form groups with other students - to have a
physically active classroom. I'm always shocked at how reticent they
are to move! They squeeze themselves into the seat and go on automatic,
and when I say "Okay, everyone, get up for this activity" they moan
and groan. Some of them try to drag their chair across the room with
their butt never leaving the seat - as if they were pasted to the damn
chair. It's a disease!
Jul. 30 2014 08:04 AM
Score: 1/1
Score: 1/1
For the past 6 months I have been
standing at least 50% of the day working off of my laptop situated on
an Ikea bookcase. All of my lower back problems disappeared. When
I get tired, I sit for an hour or two but broken up by easy movement refreshers or stretches. This is very simple.
This works very well for me. Not sure about the laptop desk - sounds good but I think my solution works just fine. Thanks for this great presentation/article.
I get tired, I sit for an hour or two but broken up by easy movement refreshers or stretches. This is very simple.
This works very well for me. Not sure about the laptop desk - sounds good but I think my solution works just fine. Thanks for this great presentation/article.
Jul. 30 2014 06:41 AM
Score: 2/2
Score: 2/2
So glad this subject is being
discussed everywhere. I had lower back issues and surgery last year. My
employer bought me a desk with a mechanical device which raises the desk
or lowers it so I only sit for about 10% of the day; stand and walk the
other 90%. It is one of the best inventions ever and the nicest gift my
company has ever given me. I would have had to leave my job if I didn't
have this wonderful desk. Now I play music, dance and move the majority
of the day!
Jul. 29 2014 11:19 PM
Score: 2/2
Score: 2/2
Think of the benefits of
treadmill bars. You would burn off the alcohol faster. Less bar
fights--how does an aggressor run down some one if he is on a treadmill?
The parallel treadmills would also make hook ups more difficult.
I enjoyed the show today as I was walking in beautiful Southern Illinois.
I enjoyed the show today as I was walking in beautiful Southern Illinois.
Jul. 29 2014 07:02 PM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
Whoa.. office chairs killing
us???? Is this Fox news? this is stupidly alarmist and sensationalist
for a headline here -don't ya think? I'm not gonna worry about the
murderous furniture... If you don't get up off your tush often
enough, it ain't the fault of the chair.
Jul. 29 2014 06:01 PM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
I spent about 3 years as a
barista (lots of standing) and another 3 as an assistant in a financial
investment firm (lots of sitting) and developed a debilitating herniated
disc which led to surgery at age 29. My solution was to change careers
(I'm now an elementary teacher) but I'm horrified by how children are
forced to sit for hours in schools (with the exception of outliers such
as Montessori and Waldorf schools). I would love to see these treadmill
and standing desks (with stools and foot pedals) gain more ground in
schools--I am personally very lax about how I allow my students to sit
at their desks (they frequently get up on their knees in their chairs)
and try to incorporate as many standing, moving, and walking activities
as I can in my teaching.
Jul. 29 2014 11:28 AM
Score: 2/2
Score: 2/2
P.S. The desk just arrived! I have to assemble it before I can use it.
And what Dr. Levine just said is so true...I have a Y membership and it's only a 5 min. walk from my house, but I haven't been in months! Working from home makes it very hard to take breaks between projects. At least with the standing desk, I hope I can walk around between tasks.
And what Dr. Levine just said is so true...I have a Y membership and it's only a 5 min. walk from my house, but I haven't been in months! Working from home makes it very hard to take breaks between projects. At least with the standing desk, I hope I can walk around between tasks.
Jul. 29 2014 11:24 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
Maria from Queens - I've been
standing and walking for most of my life (after forced sitting at
school). It's hardly been a "trend." At 65 I am slim, fit, have great
posture and plenty of energy. I don't "work out" I just work and move.
The sitting half of my family are all battling weight, high blood
pressure and couldn't dig a small hole in the ground if their life
depended on it.
Jul. 29 2014 11:23 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
Guest is starting to sound like
the fictional Howard Beale -- "I want you all to stand up, get up from
your chairs, walk to the window...." Would yelling at the top of our
lungs "I'm not going to take it (i.e., sitting) anymore!" help as well?
Jul. 29 2014 11:21 AM
Score: 2/2
Score: 2/2
He needs to be talking to
industry. If I even stand up, let alone walk around the floor, I get the
hairy eyeball. I'm pressured to sit down and work.
Jul. 29 2014 11:20 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
And now for something completely different ...
Jul. 29 2014 11:20 AM
Score: 1/1
Score: 1/1
Is sitting on a Balans chair
(half the weight on your knees, back naturally straight) any better than
sitting on a regular chair?
Jul. 29 2014 11:17 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
"Tall"? What does height have to do w/fitness?
Jul. 29 2014 11:16 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
Why not a treadle beneath a desk,
like mechanical sewing machines used for power? Moving a treadle back
and forth could power a back up battery for all the electronic
equipment.
Jul. 29 2014 11:15 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
One of my medical school
classmates suffers from back problems and began standing up during our
4-5 hour morning lectures. Very soon, 20-30 people from the class,
inlcuding myself, joined her to stand up in the back realizing that we
were able to remain a lot more alert and energized throughout the
lecture marathons as well as the rest of the day.
Jul. 29 2014 11:12 AM
Score: 1/1
Score: 1/1
How high is the treadmill desk ??
Jul. 29 2014 11:12 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
Sounds like Pseudoscience. How big was the testing group ?
Jul. 29 2014 11:12 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
A question for Dr. Levine:
I have a standing desk which I've modified with a small stepper machine. I haven't started using it in earnest but I'm curious: would the benefits associated with a treadmill desk apply in this case?
I have a standing desk which I've modified with a small stepper machine. I haven't started using it in earnest but I'm curious: would the benefits associated with a treadmill desk apply in this case?
Jul. 29 2014 11:11 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
This really helped my back pain: WorkFit-S Single HD Sit-Stand Workstation
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WQ4GXQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WQ4GXQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Jul. 29 2014 11:10 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
I know that my stress is relieved
by working at a job I enjoy. This trumps standing. I noticed that some
of my 'higher-ups' have been been doing this as they follow trends w/o
realizing that if some of their personal and work lives were more in
order; that they'd be far healthier that the trend of standing up. It
seems to be a herd mentality those that do this. It's a bit silly. Get
an ergonomic chair and do all in moderation.
Jul. 29 2014 11:05 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
How to you coordinate walking and typing or writing? What about tiny proof; how do you see it while moving?
Jul. 29 2014 11:04 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
Does Dr. Levine have any wisdom
regarding the full squat (aka the "Asian" squat) as a healthier
alternative to sitting in a chair? Long ago I lost the ability to squat
with both feet flat on the floor like many other "Westerners", and I'm
working on regaining that flexibility.
Jul. 29 2014 11:04 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
The Treadmill Desk: For people who take the rat race literally.
Jul. 29 2014 11:04 AM
Score: 1/1
Score: 1/1
I am retired, so no longer in an
office chair, but so afraid of inactivity that I bought myself a little
peddaler, that is a semi bicycle device that sits under my reading chair
which I pull out when I read for hours at a time, and pedal away. I
get a little exercise, prevent DVT and it is not at all distracting or
annoying. At 78 I am an avid folk dancer, long distance walker and in
remarkable health. Iv'e been laughed at for my activities but I have
the last laugh.
Jul. 29 2014 11:03 AM
Score: 1/1
Score: 1/1
What about active sitting with the ball? Better then a chair?
Jul. 29 2014 11:03 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
I know that my stress is relieved
by working at a job I enjoy. This trumps sitting. I noticed that some
of my 'higher-ups' have been been doing this as they follow trends w/o
realizing that if some of their personal and work lives were more in
order; that they'd be far healthier that the trend of standing up. It
seems to be a herd mentality those that do this. It's a bit silly. Get
an ergonomic chair and do all in moderation.
Jul. 29 2014 11:02 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
The treadmill desk was way too
expensive and big for my space, but I just ordered a standing computer
desk, which was only about $40! It hasn't arrived yet, but after months
of too much sitting and too many chiropractor visits, I can't wait for
it to arrive!
Jul. 29 2014 11:01 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
I'm graphic designer, and use
computer and hold mouse all the time. Is it possible to hold mouse for a
long time on a treadmill desk? I think it would kill my elbow. Any
suggestions?
Jul. 29 2014 11:01 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
I don't have a treadmill desk,
but I've set up most of my workstations (sewing, kitchen work,
greenhouse work so that I can stand. It's easy to put some blocks or
boards under desk legs so that all work can be done in a comfortable
standing position.
Question: If you're tired - is it better to sit in a chair, squat on the floor or just recline?
Question: If you're tired - is it better to sit in a chair, squat on the floor or just recline?
Jul. 29 2014 11:01 AM
Score: 0/0
Score: 0/0
I use an Ergo Desktop platform at
work every day and it has helped lower my blood glucose level. This is
just from standing 6 hours a day, not even walking.
Jul. 29 2014 11:01 AM
Score: 0/0
