Should Everyone Be Sitting or Standing at the Workplace? FEBC Asks, Why Not Both?

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Aug 10, 2018, 08:00 ET

SAN RAMON, Calif., Aug. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Typing "sitting is" into Google search will bring up some dire suggested search terms; sitting is apparently "the new smoking," "the new cancer," "killing you" and "bad for you." Ever since a 2014 study suggested that sitting for long periods of time is linked to diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular disease and obesity, the media has jumped on the anti-sitting bandwagon. While being overly sedentary may not be healthy, is everyone with a desk job going to drop dead prematurely? Should everyone have standing desks? Financial Education Benefits Center (FEBC), a health and wellness benefits company, suggests moderation between sitting and standing may be the key.

"If you have a desk job, hearing that 'sitting is the new smoking' is somewhat fear-inducing and may make you want to go out and buy a standing desk," says Jennifer Martinez, manager at FEBC. "It's a widespread headline that grabs the reader, but it sounds a bit sensationalist."

A 2016 study added fuel to the fire by suggesting that sitting for more than three hours a day caused around 433,000 deaths over 54 countries per year. Another study suggested sitting an extra 40 minutes a day dramatically increased the risk of type two diabetes. Reports about the study did not state what was meant by 40 minutes extra — extra compared to what? Most Americans working at office jobs sit approximately seven and a half hours a day, so did they mean 40 minutes in addition to the workday? While these statistics are troubling, there appear to be some gaps in the reporting that seem to insinuate that correlation is causation.

As it turns out, standing may cause health issues as well. Standing for even short periods of time is linked to backaches and leg cramps; standing for five hours has been shown to contribute to "significant and prolonged" leg fatigue. A Canadian study suggests that people who mostly stand at work are twice as likely to develop heart disease than those who sit. It seems there's just no winning. However, another study concludes that the healthiest work conditions are those where employees divide their time between sitting, standing and walking.

"It can be hard to know what to do when you have several studies that have contradictory advice, especially when they're looking at extremes," says Martinez. "From a layperson's perspective, moderation between sitting, standing and walking seems to be a good idea. At FEBC, we encourage our members to look into how they may be able to utilize our fitness, chiropractic and other wellness benefits to add balance to their lifestyle."

About Financial Education Benefits Center

Financial Education Benefits Center is located in San Ramon, California. The membership company has already helped thousands save money and obtain the necessary education required to live a financially healthy life.

Financial Education Benefits Center has partnered with several name brand third-party companies to expand the financial and educational products and services available to its members and to provide a variety of wellness services as well.

Financial Education Benefits Center Newsroom

Contact

To learn more about Financial Education Benefits Center, please contact:

Financial Education Benefits Center
2010 Crow Canyon Place Ste. 100
San Ramon, CA 94583
1-800-953-1388
[email protected]

Related Images

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Group of Office Workers Sitting and Standing
Credit: JacobLund/Bigstock

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Related Links

FEBC home page

SOURCE Financial Education Benefits Center