Is sedentary work really unhealthy?

Sedentary work is part of everyday life for many Danes - almost one in five Danes spend more than ¾ of their working time in front of a computer. But how dangerous is sedentary work really? And what can employees and employers do to reduce sedentary work - and not least the consequences of many physically inactive hours in front of the screen? Find out in this article.

What is sedentary work?

Sedentary work is defined as an inactive and fixed posture for a prolonged period of time. This is not only in office workplaces, but also in hospitals and institutions, for example, where more employees spend a larger part of their working day in front of a screen.

Sedentary workers will have low energy expenditure, which can lead to several complications. They typically arise from computer work where many small movements are repeated - for example, using a mouse and keyboard. Not being able to vary movements typically results in working in postures that can damage the neck, arms and wrists.

Is sedentary work dangerous?

Being generally inactive during the day and sitting in a fixed, bad position can affect your body in several ways.

Overall, inactivity will reduce daily energy expenditure and contribute to an even more inactive lifestyle. This increases the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and premature death. Sedentary work is also associated with musculoskeletal disorders and neck and shoulder pain.

It is estimated that around 30-50% of adults have experienced pain in their neck and shoulder muscles in recent years. For some, this can lead to chronic neck pain. If there is not a proper focus on reducing sedentary work and moving the body on a daily basis, it can lead to employees taking long-term sick leave.

In short, sedentary work is not good for health and well-being.

Frequent movement during the working day reduces the risks of sedentary work

How to reduce sedentary work?

There are a number of measures that can prevent discomfort and pain in the neck and shoulders caused by screen-based work. Employees themselves can influence the measures, including stretching and exercises, while employers should be responsible for ensuring optimal ergonomic conditions for their employees.

What you can do as an employer

As an employer, you have a duty to ensure that employees who are sedentary during the working day have equipment that allows them to vary their postures and movements.

You can do this by designing your workplace in a way that encourages employees to move around during the day.

• Include height-adjustable tables to allow both standing up and sitting down.
• The chair, monitor and keyboard should also be adjustable during the day.
• Put trash cans, printers, etc. away from desks - this encourages employees to stand up more often.
• Make walk and talk part of the meeting culture.
• Feel free to appoint an ambassador for active breaks during the working day.

It is important that you as an employer set a good example and take the lead in increasing activity in the office. Therefore, it is a good idea to take the initiative for active breaks.

In addition, good design is essential to maintain ergonomics and reduce the risk of pain from sedentary work. This includes not only the above, but also the design of the monitor space, where there should be room to rest hands and forearms on the tabletop.

As an employer, you should also pay attention to whether your employees need prescription glasses, which can be particularly beneficial if employees spend several hours a day in front of a screen.

Here's what you can do as an employee:

As an employee, you should vary your posture and move as much as possible during the working day. By varying your posture, you avoid sitting in the same position all day, which prevents and prevents pain from getting worse.

You should also remember to vary the computer work itself. You can do this by, among other things:

• Take breaks from the screen to allow your body and mind to relax.
• Avoid working with unilateral movements at the computer for long periods of time.

Pay attention to your body. If you experience frequent tiredness and discomfort, it is a sign that your work situation should be varied further - if this is the case, you can

• Use the stairs rather than the elevator.
• Switching between sitting, standing and walking work.
• Introduce walking meetings to colleagues.

In addition, strength training is particularly beneficial for preventing and relieving pain in muscles that are particularly stressed by sedentary work. It is important to remember that all activity counts - not just fitness.

If you are not a fitness enthusiast, here are some suggestions for other everyday activities:

• You can walk or cycle to work.
• Use the stairs rather than the elevator.
• Household chores that involve movement - for example, vacuuming or mopping the floor.
• Gardening

Working from home causes one in four office ailments

During the Corona pandemic, the living room or kitchen has been temporarily transformed into a remote office for many Danes - and this has had consequences for ergonomics during working hours. The ergonomic benefits from the office do not come home to the living room for around half of Danish employees working from home.

This is mainly due to the fact that very few home workplaces are ergonomically designed. In many homes, dining and kitchen tables are used as work tables, and work is often done on a laptop computer with a small screen and a bent neck.

In addition, many people probably sit incorrectly on the chair, which also cannot be adapted to the user or adjusted for changing working positions. In addition, it is also rare that the table fits in height.

Home offices are therefore often home to poor and monotonous working postures, which increase the risk of back, neck and shoulder problems. As a result, many employees working from home use equipment that does not comply with the Danish Working Environment Authority's rules, and studies show that one in four people who work from home suffer physical problems.

It's not just ergonomics in the home office that is lagging behind

In addition to inappropriate working postures, physical activity levels are often lower in home offices.

In Denmark, we generally have good initiatives for movement in the workplace - whether it's daily/weekly stretching or "we cycle to work" and "get up at work" campaigns. However, the opportunities are fewer in the home office, and the motivation to move can be harder to find when you're sitting alone in your own little cheese block at home.

Fortunately, both employers and employees can help to prevent ergonomic complications when working from home - for example

• Correct screen setting
• Online training over Teams
• Daily "walking meetings" and "coffee breaks" agreed by the office.

Getting a grip on workplace ergonomics

Do you or any of your colleagues suffer from pain and discomfort at work? Or do you want to prevent before the damage is done? Health Group offers an ergonomic review of your workplace. Here you will be visited by a physiotherapist who will adjust workstations to the individual employee and advise on training during working hours and healthy work and lifestyle habits.

We can also help with the statutory APV (workplace assessment), which takes into account the physical, social and psychological working environment. Contact us today to find out more.