How long do you sit in a day? When I asked those around me this question, their first response was six to eight hours. However, when we went through their daily activities, that figure quickly changed to double digits, signalling just how unaware we are of how long we sit.
Data from a fitness and lifestyle application offered by Old Mutual Group dubbed Thrive showed 74.1 percent of 31,734 engaged users are sedentary for more than 12 hours a day.
‘Sedentary does not mean being lazy but rather a long period awake, with very low energy use such as sitting, reclining or lying down,’ Dr Isaac Nzioka, head of digital business at Old Mutual says.
‘Fourteen sedentary hours can accumulate surprisingly easily. A normal day can contain movement and still be dominated by sitting,’ he adds.
The app found that most users spent an average of seven hours on a desk doing work-related duties while three hours went into TV and phone usage including scrolling or reading.
Other sedentary hours were used in commuting and during meals.
‘The point is not that every day looks exactly like this. It is that ordinary routines can quietly add up, so exercise and regular movement breaks matter,’ says Dr Nzioka.
The doctor recommends including movement breaks every 30 to 60 minutes, walking while talking or while on audio call, use of stairs and walking part of the commute.
‘You should aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity in a week plus strength work on two days,’ he added.
The long sedentary hours have been associated with a myriad of problems such as back pains, cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes.
‘It is concerning, especially in my case, because most of the patients I’m seeing with issues to do with the low back and hips are just because of living a sedentary lifestyle, especially sitting for long hours,’ says Jamin Mwangi, a physiotherapist at Zuri Health.
‘It’s ironic that people who are seated, not engaging in any strenuous activity are the ones getting very serious issues to do with the musculoskeletal system,’ he adds.
Mr Mwangi notes at least two of the six patients he sees in a day have back problems, mainly arising from sedentary living.
The physiotherapist reckons our bodies were not designed to be seated for more than an hour, beyond which we put excessive pressure on the low back and hips. Other challenges associated with long sitting hours include accumulation of dead weight around the mid-section as enzymes that help break down fats become less active.
Dr Nzioka also notes during sedentary state, inactive muscles absorb less glucose from the bloodstream causing blood sugar problems. In a long sitting position, leg muscles pump less blood, resulting in unhealthy blood circulation in the body.
As technology and virtual working increase the amount of time employees spend seated, sedentary behaviour has become an important workplace wellbeing concern.
Some companies such as Absa Bank Kenya have started activities that trigger active competition among its staff.
Staff are placed in teams dubbed kayas in which members accumulate their daily walking steps with the winning team taking a cash prize of up to Sh5 million.
‘Our focus is not only on organised sport, but on making movement accessible and sustainable for colleagues with different roles, locations and fitness levels. We are seeing greater awareness of personal wellbeing, alongside stronger colleague engagement and teamwork,’ sys Mumbi Kahindo, Chief People Officer at Absa Bank Kenya.
‘Employers have an important role in creating environments that make it easier for people to move, recharge and succeed,’ she adds.
The physiotherapist emphasises on the need to exercise over and above taking breaks during working hours.
‘I normally advise people to ensure they engage in some form of exercise at the end of the day. If you can’t afford to go to the gym, you can download a step track on your phone and ensure you do at least 10,000 steps,’ says Mr Mwangi.