If you own a business that has an office staff, it’s very likely that these members of your organization spend the vast majority of their day sitting at their desks. Whether they’re doing paperwork, speaking with clients and customers, or working on a computer, the work they’re taking part in could be having a very harmful effect on their overall picture of health. Not only is this a negative for them in their personal and professional life, but it’s also just bad business for you, both when it comes to productivity and your bottom line financially. So to show you just how dangerous this can be and help you find ways you can combat it, here are three ways having a sedentary staff could be harmful to their health and what you can do about it.
The Physical Toll of Not Moving
Not getting enough physical activity during the day can take a real toll on your mind and body. According to Alisa Hrustic, a contributor to Men’s Health, being sedentary can increase your risks of developing several different types of cancers, bring on early dementia, cause massive changes in blood sugar levels, and cause innumerable aches and pains throughout the body. While most of these issues won’t present themselves immediately, you could see them flourish after a while of being too sedentary, which means the results will start to show up for you as increased insurance rates and workers’ compensation claims.
Hazards To Mental Health
Not only are these physical problems that can come about as a result of being too sedentary, but there are also mental health issues that are associated with this type of lifestyle as well. According to LifeSpanFitness.com, people who don’t get enough physical activity often suffer from more anxiety and depression than their more active counterparts. This can make your workforce much less effective than they otherwise could be.
Increased Risk Of Dying
All in all, Erin Donnelly Michos, a contributor to Johns Hopkins Medicine, shares that sedentary behavior will overall increase your risks of dying before your time. Problems with heart disease and other physical issues are much more common with people who live a predominantly sedentary life, which might be a large number of your employees.
To help counterbalance all the time your staff should be spending working at their desks, try to at least give them a comfortable seat to rest in. Look for seats that have a focus on ergonomics and can adjust to each individual person. Additionally, try to find ways that you can encourage your staff to move more during the day. This could include things like standing meetings, complimentary gym memberships, or a health and wellness policy.
If you want your staff to avoid the problems associated with being too sedentary, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how you can do just that.
Originally posted on October 22, 2018 @ 8:28 pm