Stand up for yourself!

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. John Sumner
  • 442d Fighter Wing Safety Office
WHITEMAN AFB, Mo. --  Here in the Safety Office, we keep an eye on millions of dollars' worth of aircraft, facilities and equipment. But today, I want to talk about something even more important:

You!

Your health is worth investing in.

Many wing offices are in the process of renovation and as you consider new pieces of equipment I would like to ask you to consider the benefits of a standing work center. Rather than sitting, you could switch to desks that allow you to stand throughout the day. While standing desks are more expensive than traditional sitting desks, the health benefits are substantial. For example, the University of Toronto did a study on sedentary time and its association with risk for disease incidence, mortality and hospitalization in adults. The study showed that sedentary behavior can lead to death from cardiovascular issues and cancer. It can also cause chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 

Vanderbilt University found that the average working-age American spends nearly eight hours a day, or 55 percent of their waking hours, sedentary. In addition to sitting at work you might be driving your car, or watching TV, but the hours you spend sitting contribute to your risk of obesity. As soon as you become sedentary you may start to burn as little as one calorie per minute, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The fourth-leading risk factor for death for people around the word is physical inactivity, according to the World Health Organization. If you sit for eight to 12 hours a day or more you increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 90 percent! Sixty-seven percent of Americans hate sitting but 86 percent sit all day long....what?! Every two hours spent just sitting reduces blood flow, raises blood sugar and drops good cholesterol by 20 percent. On average we sit about 7.7 hours a day and some studies estimate people sit up to 15 hours a day. How many hours a day do you spend sitting? Use the Sitting-Time Calculator tool at Juststand.org, the results may not "sit" well with you.

Fortunately, the time you spend at work can mitigate your sedentary hours by simply standing up. Even if you're not ready to commit to standing for eight hours, think if it as giving yourself the option.  Standing can help increase energy, tone muscles and you may even burn off some extra calories. Standing work centers can easily be lowered to a more traditional height. Or lower. Instead of you adjusting to your desk, let the desk adjust to you.

In the Safety Office, we'd like to be preventative, rather than reactionary. Our goal is to help you live a long, healthy life.

So, when you have the choice to request new furniture, consider all your options and aim high.