Office jobs make up a huge portion of the job market. Millions of people around the world are spending forty hours a week sat at a desk. What they might not realize is that it can cause you serious health issues. It doesn’t seem that strenuous so people don’t really consider its effect on your health, but if we don’t start addressing these problems and changing the way that we work in the office, we could end up with a serious health epidemic on our hands. If you work in an office, you need to be aware of these health risks that you face every single day.
Lack Of Sunlight
Getting a good amount of sunlight is important for your health, but if you’re stuck inside at a desk all day, you won’t be seeing much of it. The main thing that you need from sunlight is Vitamin D. While you can get it from foods, it isn’t usually enough and you need to get the bulk of it from UV rays. When you have a deficiency, you are at risk of all sorts of problems including osteomalacia, muscle weakness, and a loss of cognitive function to name a few. If it’s possible, you should try to get outside for short periods while you’re at work. Why not have a walk around in the sun on your lunch break? You can also boost levels by eating fatty fish and dairy products. Using calcium supplements is always good for bone health but you should consult your doctor first.
Sitting Down For Too Long
You’d think that sitting down a lot would take the strain off your body but it does quite the opposite. When you sit down, all of your muscles relax and your body isn’t really doing anything at all. When you stand, your muscles are always working to keep you upright. That means that sitting for long periods can have serious effects on your health. Recent studies have shown that even people that exercise a lot still suffer negative effects from sitting and it can increase your chances of being overweight, experiencing heart disease, and contracting cancer. It can be combated if you make small decisions to change the way you operate. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or walk instead of drive where possible. And when you’re in the office. Take regular breaks to get your body moving.
Dirty Air
Air pollution in buildings isn’t talked about that much, but it’s a big problem that shouldn’t be ignored. Most offices have air conditioning systems that recycle the air all day long. When you’ve already got polluted air outside, you’re just churning it around and making it dirtier and dirtier. The resulting air can actually be hundreds of times dirtier than the air outside, so if you think you’re getting a respite from pollution when you’re inside the office, you’re wrong. Getting outside for short periods can help you to reduce the amount of air pollution you expose yourself to, but the unfortunate truth is, you can’t do much about it until somebody comes up with a better way of cleaning the air.
A huge amount of people could be at serious risk due to the health problems caused by office jobs unless we completely rethink the way that they work.