Latest health warning strikes a bum note: take our 45 minute challenge!

Posted in General News

At last, evidence that an hourly goss around the water cooler isn’t just good for our social skills, but our bottoms.

An editorial just published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine warns that sitting for prolonged periods – even if you also exercise regularly – could be bad for your health.

Just how bad are we talking? Well, according to research, several studies suggest that people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die.

Pretty bad, then.

Elin Ekblom-Bak from the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences says that, “after four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals,” explaining that genes regulating the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down.

The health warning is supported by a study published last year which tracked more than 17,000 Canadians over approximately a twelve year period. Researchers found that people who sat more had a HIGHER DEATH RISK, independently of whether they exercised or not.

Is it just us and everybody else we know that spectacularly fails when it comes to taking a break every few hours, let alone 45 minutes? So, as self-appointed ‘arse ambassadors’ (it’s a bum job but someone’s got to do it), we have compiled our top ten butt-busters.

1. A Mexican Wave. Repeat every 45 minutes.
2. Grab a coffee / tea / beverage of your choice. Note: beverage must be out of reach for maximum effect.
3. What goes in must come out. Take 5 and skip to the loo, my darlings.
4. Do the locomotion. It didn’t do Kylie’s rear end any harm. Gold hot-pants optional.
5. Don’t send your office colleague that E-mail. Get radical! Walk to their desk. Speak to them.
6. Smile! OK, you don’t have to go that far.
7. Lunch at desk? So 2009! Lunch breaks much more 2010. Get with it.
8. Loo again, especially for those who have made drinking 2 litres of water a day their new year’s resolution. Or was that just us? Seriously, who’s got the time?!
9. Water cooler moment. Think TV schedules! Think gossip! Think of your health!
10. Fat genes starting to break down: is that a good or a bad thing do you think? We’d rather not take the risk. Break time!
11. Laxatives. Only for the truly desperate / constipated. Not entirely beneficial to overall bottom health.

We’d love to hear any other suggestions you may have, all in the name of science of course. E-mail us at recruit@the-works.co.uk.