UOIT researcher takes a stand against sitting

Whether we are eating meals, driving a car, working at a desk or relaxing on the couch before going to bed, the average person spends a good portion of his or her day… sitting. The problem is, says a researcher at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), this sedentary lifestyle is seriously compromising our health.

Dr. Shilpa Dogra, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), UOIT explained this conundrum in a recent Globe and Mail article, entitled I tried quitting but I can't stop sitting. From the time an individual is hired, Dr. Dogra says the workplace facilitates sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity. This, in turn, can increase a person’s risk of developing chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and pain in the lower back, shoulder and neck – which makes it less likely that the individual will leave the workforce in a healthy condition.

Through her research, it has become increasingly apparent to Dr. Dogra that the impact of sedentary time on health outcomes is significant, even for those who consider themselves fit. “Regular exercisers who sit for two or more hours per day are still at an increased risk for developing chronic conditions,” she said.

And she says the sedentary epidemic is getting worse. People are sitting for increasingly longer periods of time, not only because their jobs have become automated, but also because their entertainment and built environments encourage sitting.

“Television time, video games and computer time – what we call screen time – are all extremely high in children, youth, adults and even more so in older adults,” Dr. Dogra said. “This does not include sitting time in a meeting or classroom, sitting on a bus or in your car, sitting to eat your meal and so on. Statistics Canada indicates Canadians spend 69 per cent of their waking hours in sedentary activities. This needs to change.”

Sitting time is most strongly associated with cardiometabolic conditions such as heart disease, hypertension and Type II diabetes. While there are strong genetic predispositions to these conditions, Dr. Dogra is a strong advocate for lifestyle changes, which can be extremely effective at reducing risk.

“As a society, we need to prioritize making these types of changes,” she said. “Otherwise workplaces and neighbourhoods will continue to be designed without considering healthy, active lifestyles.”

One of the first places these changes can be made is in the workplace, where health is often touted as a priority, but little is done to break the sedentary workplace norms. Simple things like standing desks, walking meetings and taking the stairs can all reduce the total amount of time employees spend sitting at work, as well as the length of their sedentary bouts.

“There should be no barriers to making such changes, as a healthy worker is more productive than a sick or absent one,” she said.

According to Dr. Dogra, the best way to encourage behavioural change is through policy changes that encourage supervisor buy-in (managers who don’t frown upon employees stretching or getting up from their desks at regular intervals) and the use of ergonomic and movement-friendly desk equipment, such as hydraulic desks, treadmill or bike desks, and tracks around the office.

“To be an employer in the 21^st century, workplaces will have to keep up – and, as the evidence becomes stronger, insurance companies may force them to,” she said.

Links to Dr. Dogra’s research papers on sedentary behaviour:

• Sedentary behaviour and physical activity are independent predictors of successful aging in middle-aged and older adults
• Correlates of extended sitting time in older adults: an exploratory cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey Healthy Aging Cycle