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The "Stand Up" Challenge

A recent New York Times article  is cautioning all of us to “beware of the chair.”

Studies have found that those who sit for long periods of time have higher risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and early death – even with regular exercise.

If you have desk-bound employees, try these ideas to challenge them to stand up to do their work:

  • Once a day, take a “stand up” break. Email the entire company and encourage employees to get out of their seats for the next five minutes. They can go talk to a colleague about something they would have called about, check their physical mailboxes (not email inboxes), deliver paperwork, or network with their colleagues.

  • If you have employees who are on the phone a lot, give them headsets. Not only is it more comfortable, but they will also be able to stand up and even walk around while talking.

  • Start an incentive challenge involving pedometers and challenge employees to get a certain number of steps each day. TOHP has several incentive challenges from which to choose. 
  • Hold walking or “stand up” meetings when possible. Take the chairs out of the conference room or walk around the building while holding your meeting.

  • Purchase a few stand-up or treadmill desks. Or, encourage crafty employees to build their own, more affordable versions at home.

    • Remember, the point is not to stand or walk all day – that can be just as harmful as sitting! The challenge should be to give your chair a break and move around when you can.

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