MoveMore Blog

In 2013, the first JustStand® Index was released to better understand how sedentary the typical American is each day and to measure the overall awareness of sitting disease and its accompanying risks. In 2016, we revisited the exercise in order to see what changes had taken place over time.

Since the first Index, there has arguably been an increased understanding of the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyles. Several news articles and subsequent expert commentary have been published that highlight the ill effects of too much sitting. It follows then that the latest Index found overall awareness of what is known as “sitting disease” has more than doubled, from 7 percent in 2013 to 15 percent in 2016. In addition, more people believe that prolonged sitting could lead to an early death (from 74 percent to 86 percent).
blog.
Interestingly enough, one of the most telling data points is the one that had almost no significant statistical change. When respondents were asked if they personally believe they are at risk for sitting disease, less than half of respondents said yes (48 percent), compared to 47 percent in 2013. While awareness around sitting disease and its effects has risen, people seem to still be unaware that it needs to be addressed now or that they could personally be at risk.

Why is sitting disease such an important issue for employers to consider? Since many employees spend a majority of their time seated at their desks, the workplace is where there is the biggest room for change. Employers should empower their employees to be more active at work and help increase their overall wellness – check out what one expert has to say:

“Sedentary behavior is driving up healthcare costs and affecting performance and productivity. One almost shockingly simple solution is to get people moving. There’s so much that an executive or HR professional can’t control when it comes to what impacts employee wellness and productivity – like what people are eating or how much they’re sleeping – so it’s important that they take advantage of their influence in the office and workstation environment. Whether it’s standing meetings, walking paths or sit-stand workstations, employers can embrace movement in a way that has a positive impact on employee health and productivity every day.” – Betsey Banker, CWWPM, CWWS, wellness manager, Ergotron.

Providing a means for increased movement is one ways the employers can help increase their employees overall health.

How you can find ways to MOVE MORE:

As research continues to prove that sedentary behavior is a threat to our overall health, it’s critical to begin taking steps to increase activity throughout the day, beyond the general advice of exercising more. Utilizing tools to create simple lifestyle changes, such as a standing desk at work or a wall mount in a home office are easy ways to incorporate more movement into your day – thus reducing the effects of sitting all day.

To download the full e-book visit: stand.pixels-360.com/JSindex

Tags: personal wellness, #SitLess #MoveMore, sedentary behavior, research, corporate wellness, office wellness, Just Stand Index

Relevant Posts