How to reduce sedentary lifestyle by working 8 hours (or more) sitting down?

Sitting for long periods of time is more dangerous than we think. According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work , musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common health problem among European workers and, therefore, the main cause of sick leave in Europe.

Workplaces are becoming more sedentary and there is increasing evidence linking poor health to a sedentary lifestyle, which has increased the importance of addressing the problem of prolonged, unstable sitting at work.

In terms of numbers, more than 24% of workers in the European Union (EU-25) report back pain and 22% complain of muscle pain. On the other hand, according to the 2019 European Enterprise Survey on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER), the third most frequently reported risk factor in the EU-27 (61% of companies) is sitting for long periods.

The problems of sitting for long periods of time range from lack of energy, lower back pain or neck and shoulder tension, to more serious illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic problems or neurodegenerative disorders.
Working actively. At Ergonomika, we know that the solution to this situation is to ensure that work is carried out in the most active way possible. This means:

• Try to get up every 30 minutes or so while you work.
• If you have to sit for many hours at a time, get up and stand for at least 10 minutes.
• Change positions frequently. Ideally, combine sitting, standing and walking.

The problem is not only spending long hours sitting, but also doing so without breaks. Combining sitting positions with periods of standing work has numerous benefits. It reduces the pressure on your back and upper body, commonly associated with regular sitting. It will also facilitate blood circulation in your legs, and throughout the rest of your body.

A perfect chair for active work is the Hag Capisco chair. There is no better chair on the market for such active work. Its design, inspired by the shape and movement of the human body, allows for more active and healthy postures than any other chair.

With the Capisco chair, you can combine sitting and semi-standing work with the utmost ease. In addition, its unconventional shape will allow you to sit in all possible ways: forward, sideways or even backwards, with your chest on the backrest and your arms resting on the armrests. Hag Capisco will make you discover a different concept of chair. Capisco is the chair that promotes a less sedentary lifestyle.
If you need to feel active while sitting, Capisco is your chair. Discover how Hag Capisco gives you the energy you lack in your daily life, making you feel more active, more energetic and healthier while you work. All this will help you to be more productive, decisive and creative. Capisco is a very durable chair. It is made of 50% recycled material and is 90% recyclable, which also makes it an environmentally friendly option.

In short, there is no doubt that the best posture is always the next one, the one we adopt next. Therefore, it is important to remember to sit down when we need to, to stand up when we have been in the same position for a long time and to move whenever our body asks us to. Adopting a “dynamic sitting posture”, encouraging postural change while we are sitting, combining sitting with standing and walking. In short, allowing sitting postures to vary continuously is a good starting point to combat sedentary lifestyles at work, which entails so many health problems. Companies should not lose sight of the fact that promoting active lifestyles at work will have economic benefits. After all, healthy workers are much more productive than sick ones.