2023-11-02 06:00:16
martin-dm / Getty Images Man working at home is stretching
martin-dm / Getty Images
“The important thing is to change position regularly”
HEALTH – Premature mortality, chronic or cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders… The list of dangers of a sedentary lifestyle for health is long, and it continues to grow with each study. But no matter how much we hear ourselves repeating that it’s not good to spend eight hours sitting every day, there are things over which we have little control.
When you have an office job or have to travel by car for more than an hour a day to get to your workplace, sitting is difficult to avoid. How can we best stay as active as possible in these conditions? What are the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle? Answers with Maël Dec, study manager for the national observatory of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle (ONAPS).
“Sport does not compensate for a sedentary lifestyle, but it has other benefits”
In a September 2023 study on the links between time spent in a chair and cognitive degeneration, American researchers pointed to a link between spending more than ten hours each day in a sitting position and dementia. Worrying fact: having a sporting activity did not compensate for the sedentary hours of the day. Clearly, between those who did an hour of sport in the morning before sitting all day and those who did not do sport, the risks of senility were the same.
Something to worry about those who combine their morning sport with their work day. After HuffPostMaël Dec however wants to be reassuring. “Exercising in the morning can’t offset the negative effects of sitting for ten hours a day, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless! Being active has many benefits that should not be minimized, and it is a period during which we are not sedentary: this is doubly important. »
The problem with chairs and other office armchairs
If you are a fan of teleworking lying down, be aware that the risks of sitting also concern you. According to Maël Dec, “regardless of the place or the manner, if we spend a prolonged time with an energy expenditure close to rest, the consequences are the same”.
The reason is the way chairs, beds and other places of immobility allow our muscles to stop. This is the hypothesis supported by an article by researchers Herman Pontzer and David Raichlen in the American journal New Scientist. They present a study carried out among the Hazda tribe in Tanzania. Among these hunter-gatherers, chairs are absent and the main resting positions are squatting, feet anchored to the ground and hindquarters placed on the heels, or kneeling.
However, research indicates that despite a time of immobility equivalent to that measured among Americans (ten hours per day) and similar physical activity, the Hazda are “ much healthier than their peers assigned to desks”not because they rest less or get up more often, but because their resting positions allow between five and ten times more muscular activity.
Can Chair Alternatives Work?
Should you throw away your office chair in the bulky trash? Maybe not right away. As American researchers point out, unless you are accustomed to squatting since childhood, it is very likely that the position will be uncomfortable – or even impossible to achieve.
To avoid doing “deep squats” at the office, many alternatives to the chair have emerged on the market. Standing desk, gym ball, stool made to sit cross-legged… But for Maël Dec, it’s not yet time to get rid of your chair. “The balls will help with musculoskeletal disorders, by engaging the muscles of the abdominal belt. Standing desks are useful too, since they work the leg muscles a little. But these positions quickly become uncomfortable to hold for an entire working day, and can also trigger back pain,” explains the expert.
For him, the most important thing is to favor changes of position, which avoids pain and gets you moving. With an adjustable desk, for example, which allows you to transition between sitting and standing several times during the day.
150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week
Maël Dec also recalls the recommendations of the national health security agency: “you need to break your sedentary lifestyle regularly by walking a little. We recommend moving for one minute every hour, or five minutes every two hours – walking, getting your body moving… Not just standing without moving. » To achieve these objectives, Maël Dec has several tips: take active breaks, take the stairs, go outside and walk while making calls, all means are good for finding moments of action during your working time.
Outside of office hours, he also calls for trying to be more active. “When possible, we recommend gentle and active mobility for getting around and getting to work. Cycling, skateboarding, walking… This allows you to reduce the time spent sedentary during the day and to be active. » Generally speaking, the WHO recommends 150 minutes (two and a half hours) of moderate physical activity per week.
Also see on Le HuffPost :
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