Lack Of Activity At Work May Contribute To Obesity

There are probably several reasons Americans tend to be overweight. A new study suggests one reason is we don't get enough physical activity at work.

According to a new study conducted at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in Baton Rouge, La., workplace activity has significantly decreased over the last 50 years. It's not that we're consuming more calories, the report says, we're burning off fewer of them.

In the 1960s, more than one half of jobs included moderate physical activity in contrast to today’s less than 20 percent, according to the new study.

Too much sitting

“Yesterday’s jobs have been replaced by sitting or sedentary activity,”said lead study Pennington Biomedical scientist Timothy Church, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. and John S. McIlhenny Endowed Chair at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “In the last fifty years, we estimate that daily occupation-related energy expenditure has decreased by more than 100 calories per day, and this reduction accounts for a significant portion of the increase in mean U.S. body weights for women and men.”

The debate over the causes of the obesity epidemic has revolved around the twin factors of diet and exercise. The debate is essentially over which is most important. The report suggests they are both significant factors.

“Our data provides further support to the importance of including both diet and physical activity in discussions related to be both the causes and potential solutions of the on-going obesity epidemic,” said Church.

The study examined the trends in occupational physical activities over the past five decades, comparing how the trends compare to concurrent changes in body weight in men and women in the United States.

150 minutes per week

In 2008, federal physical activity recommendations were released suggesting 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity per week. However, only one in 20 Americans are meeting these guidelines.

If men and women were meeting these recommendations, this would make up for the decreased activity levels in the labor work force, the researchers said.

In recent years some businesses have encourage employees to engage in physical activity at work. This includes a set of simple stretching and strengthening moves that can be done while seated in an office chair.

Five ways to get more exercise

The Mayo Clinic staff recently offered five ways to get some exercise in the workplace:

1. Make the most of your commute

Walk or bike to work. If you ride the bus, get off a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way. If you drive to work, park at the far end of the parking lot.

2. Look for opportunities to stand

You'll burn more calories standing than sitting. Stand while talking on the phone. Better yet, try a standing desk — or improvise with a high table or counter. Eat lunch standing up. Trade instant messaging and phone calls for walks to other desks or offices.

3. Take fitness breaks

Rather than hanging out in the lounge with coffee or a snack, take a brisk walk or do some gentle stretching. Pull your chin toward your chest until you feel a stretch along the back of your neck, or slowly bring your shoulders up toward your ears.

4. Trade your office chair for a fitness ball

A firmly inflated fitness or stability ball can make a good chair. You'll improve your balance and tone your core muscles while sitting at your desk. You can even use the fitness ball for wall squats or other exercises during the day.

5. Keep fitness equipment in your work area

Store resistance bands — stretchy cords or tubes that offer weight-like resistance when you pull on them — or small hand weights in a desk drawer or cabinet. Do arm curls between meetings or tasks.