1.10.18 – 10 Ways Your Desk Job Is Killing You

1.10.18 – 10 Ways Your Desk Job Is Killing You

Bad Dilbert cartoons and “humpday” jokes are not the only hazards of the modern workplace. It turns out that your office can actually contribute to serious health problems if you’re not paying attention. So put that doughnut down! Little steps can mitigate big risks…

• #10 – Typing on a Funky Keyboard – A dirty keyboard is a breeding ground for bacteria and a leading cause of sick days. From E. Coli to staph – regularly wipe down your devices with an antibacterial product containing bleach.
• #9 – Late Night Work: Working odd hours – say programming at night – and ignoring your circadian rhythms can mess with your hormones, increasing your weight and leading to diabetes, cancer and heart problems.
• #8 – Taking “Laptop” Literally: The heat from your device can cause skin problems. And men, it can lower your sperm count significantly.
• #7 – Working Overtime: More than 10 hours a day can lead to a heart attack, increasing your risk by a whopping 60%.
• #6 – Printing Everything: Long-term, repeated exposure to printers and photocopiers contributes to lung disease. Skip command P and save your work on Evernote or G Drive.
• #5 – Skipping Breakfast: Consistently missing the most important meal of the day can put your body in a stress state and disrupt your metabolism
• #4 – Sitting in Traffic: A commute of over 10 miles in the car, or 30 minutes on public transportation ups your risk for anxiety, crankiness and a deep funk.
• #3 – Fast Food Lunching: Say hello to heart disease, with double the calories and oxidized fat from the drive thru.
• #2 – Slouching: Sit up straight! Hunching can lead to chronic muscular-skeletal ailments like arthritis and bursitis

And the number one way to drop dead at your desk:

• #1- Staying Seated: 86% of Americans sit all day at work – leading to a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, cancer and more – even if you hit the gym regularly. Cornell University recommends you take a two minute “moving break” at least twice an hour. Break that out to 1 minute for every 15 minutes you’re seated.

The Flashfit app can get you there easily. With hundreds of fast and fun one-minute exercises that don’t require any special equipment, you can get moving right in your cube. And Flashfit will track your activity, so you can reach your movement goals and get healthy.

Sources: Cornell University, New York Times, Business Insider