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The Dangers of Sitting
9-1-1 in the News | Jerry | January 22, 2010 at 4:40 pm
The dispatcher’s behind may be a health hazard to public safety. No, this isn’t a disparaging remark aimed at the intellectual abilities of dispatchers across the nation, I’m talking about THE dispatcher’s behind, the collection of tissue that is right now probably nestled between your pelvic bone and a chair. Actually, it isn’t really your derriere that is the problem, it is what you are doing with it. Scientific evidence has emerged to suggest that sitting for prolonged periods, even if you exercise regularly, could be bad for your health.
It seems that being inactive is bad for us. That isn’t new you might think, but what is significant is that this new research indicates the risks apply even to people who take regular exercise! The difference lies within the definition of those who might be regarded as sedentary, where little exercise is taken and the risks are well documented, and those who are muscularly inactive for long periods of time, such as sitting at a dispatch console. Apparently, sitting for long periods can causes changes to the genes which regulate fat and glucose in the body even though the subject may engage in a period of exercise each day.
Like a lot of research, the findings have raised more questions than perhaps they have answered, but to counteract the risks it is recommended that exercise or more importantly movement that requires muscle expansion and contraction, should occur every hour or two. What can the 911 dispatcher do confined in a control center for an 8 to 12 hour shift? Many control room console desktops can be raised, why not stand to dispatch or handle some of those calls? If you can’t leave your desk and your seated position can’t be adjusted – fidget. Even flexing your limbs periodically is thought to be better than nothing.
The irony of it all. How many of us were brought up with memories of being told “stop fidgeting!” Now we find it could actually prolong our lives.
More information can be found here
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Further to the above, I saw a segment on our local Fox affiliate about a kindergarten class in Ohio? that got rid of all the kids chairs and the students now sit on exercise balls. Once the kids got over the “Yahoo, it’s a giant ball” part, it made a lot of sense. Enhanced muscle control, balance, plus the teacher felt it also stimulated thinking. Sitting becomes an active process, how great is that?!
Here’s a link to a PDF on a similar story about the same class. Way to go Mrs. Smith! http://www.wittfitt.org/wittfittmedia/pressroom/abcnewspaperswoodcrest.pdf