The Deadly Effect of Working 9 Till 5: How To Stay In Shape

The bad habits of desk-bound office workers could be leading to 90,000 unnecessary deaths every year, according to an academic study. The typical ‘nine-to-five’ roles that so many people have are leading to many people sitting down for at least eight hours in a day, which is storing up big health problems.

A 20-year University of Cambridge study involving more than one million adults lifted the lid on the state of the UK’s inactivity problem.  It found that 37 per cent of UK adults are classed as ‘completely inactive’ because they spend less than half an hour a day on their feet.

The issue of inactivity was said to be directly responsible for one in six deaths – including issues such as heart disease and diabetes – and is said to cost the economy £1.7 billion a year.

Worldwide, it’s even thought that the number of deaths caused by inactivity matches the number as a result of smoking – both amounting to more than five million people.

Raising awareness of the issue of inactivity

The academics behind the study want to raise awareness of the dangers people face when chained to their desks. It’s thought that the modern employee has grown complacent given that offices themselves are much safer than the industrial workplaces of days gone by.

Professor Ulf Ekelund, lead researcher, told the Daily Mail: “For many people who commute to work and have office-based jobs, there is no way to escape sitting for prolonged periods of time.

“For these people in particular, we cannot stress enough the importance of getting exercise.   Whether it’s getting out for a walk at lunchtime, going for a run in the morning or cycling to work.”

Campaign group vows to take a stand

The study’s findings chime with the message of a campaign group that is concerned about the lack of activity among the UK’s office workers.

Get Britain Standing and the British Heart Foundation recently teamed up to launch the On Your Feet Britain campaign.

Gavin Bradley, from Get Britain Standing, told the BBC: “We’re all victims of our environment.  We’ve taken a lot of activity out of the workplace and we’re sitting longer and longer.

“We need new and innovative ways of addressing the issue.

“Stand up when you’re on the phone or in meetings, do everything you can to avoid sitting.”

He also called on people to get into the habit of taking a break from their computer screens every 30 minutes, using the stairs at every opportunity and making sure they eat their lunch away from their desks.

What happens out of the office is also important

While getting people off their feet on a regular basis at work is important, so too is encouraging a healthier lifestyle in general. If people are inspired by Team GB’s Olympic success to get the keep-fit bug, then this will help.

The sort of people who have a planned workout regime with, as Fysiqal demonstrates, the right balance of diet and exercise, will not want to let that go to waste between the working hours of nine and five.

Often the focus after an Olympics turns to young people and the next generation of stars but adults too need to be inspired to become more active and healthier. This, coupled with greater awareness of the risks they face and how to overcome them, is necessary to combat the danger of inactivity.

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