Chuck the chair - and lose weight

Photo: Kevin Stent

No sit-down job: Deb Hurdle happily stands at her desk.

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Standing, rather than sitting while you type, talk and work could see workers drop kilos, become more productive and potentially stave off diabetes, an Auckland researcher says.

Grant Schofield, professor of Public Health at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), calls it his "Goya" policy – a polite way of hiding its real meaning: Get Off Your Arse.

A review of existing research into sedentary behaviour, co-authored by Schofield, was released last month and showed getting workers moving meant they could lose up to 2kg a year and would have better posture.

"Weight goes on under the radar, so it is a way to keep the weight off under the radar."

Schofield did a preliminary study of four workers using a commercially available height-adjustable desk and measured energy expenditure standing, sitting and lying down while working.

His study showed that a worker standing and typing expended 84 calories an hour, which is 13% more than someone sitting and typing (73 calories/hour), and 16% more than someone who is simply lying down (71 calories/hour). Those extra calories burnt, combined with the increase in movement for standing workers, meant weight would likely go off rather than on during the year.

Schofield says standing rather than sitting for long periods can even avert the production of the enzymes that can cause type 2 diabetes.

Vigorous exercise either side of a day being seated would not help – people simply needed to be more active at work, he said.

Schofield has applied to the Health Research Council for funding to undertake further research at a workplace.

Wellingtonian Deb Hurdle is a convert to standing on the job.

Hurdle, a Sport and Recreation New Zealand (Sparc) manager, began standing at her desk about two years ago after she pulled her hamstring and found it uncomfortable to sit.

A visiting health and safety inspector suggested she try a height-adjustable desk. Two years on, she would never go back. She uses her cellphone rather than her landline so she can walk and talk, and she adjusts the desk depending on the height of her heels.

She says her abdominal and back muscles supporting the spine and mid-torso are now far stronger.

BOOSTING MOBILITY

How to make workers more mobile and productiveProvide vertical (or height-adjustable) work stations for employees to allow them to stand for part of the day.

Encourage staff to walk while they talk where practical and rather than using email, phones and seated meetings to communicate with workmates, walk to their workplace and have stand-up meetings.

Encourage staff with largely sedentary tasks to take breaks that involve movement of some kind. Workstations that incorporate a slow-moving treadmill could be considered by workplaces in the future.

Source: Schofield, Quigley and Brown

- © Fairfax NZ News