Writing & Office Gear

Years of Sitting Dangerously, or How Your Desk Can Kill You (or Make You Stronger)

by John Robert Marlow
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If you’re like most people, when you hear the phrase “world’s most dangerous jobs,” WRITER and OFFICE WORKER are not the first words that leap to mind. But as it turns out, these occupations are more dangerous than anyone suspected. We’re not talking war correspondents in the latest foreign hellhole, or investigative journalists shadowing the Russian Mob. No; we’re talking Joe or Jane Writer (or Office Worker), who sits at a desk all day every day, or nearly so.

And therein lies the problem.

One might reasonably conclude that sitting in a chair all day is less deadly than, say, dodging bullets in Burma—but as it happens, that may not be the case. Scads of recent studies have brought to light a rather startling fact: sitting can be deadly—and the more of it you do, the deadlier it gets.

All of which begs the question: Short of giving up writing for marathoning—what to do about that?

This piece will explain the problem, and explore an increasingly popular solution to the dilemma it poses: how to get traditionally deskbound work done without risking an early grave. Treadmill desks—which accommodate sitting, standing and walking positions—make it possible to not just prevent sitting-induced maladies, but actually make ourselves healthier while working. Future posts will cover a number of enabling accessories that can help ease the transition, and make the new normal more comfortable/ergonomic. Read more…