“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving,” – Albert Einstein
A sedentary meeting culture has been around for years. Unfortunately, breaking the traditions is a hard task. Meanwhile, sitting around and yawing in uncomfortable chairs doesn’t produce any results.
Just the opposite, office workers feel sleepy while their brains become cloudy. Getting together to discuss important matters is impossible to avoid. However, you can consider changing the way the meetings are held.
An average person wakes up and goes to work to spend the majority of his or her life there. A substantial part of the workday is spent in meetings and conferences. Since all meetings have a sedentary culture, you end up sitting down for more than a quarter of your life.
The sedentary culture goes back to Roman forums. Isn’t it hard to break a tradition, which dates back thousands of years?
The Risks of Sedentary Meeting Culture
The risks of such a culture are so numerous, it may be hard to list in one article. Let’s focus on the most unpleasant ones.
• High risk of heart disease. Spending just two hours a day sitting down at a meeting can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by 5 % to 17%.
• Cancer. People leading a sedentary way of life are at a higher risk of developing cancer due to being overweight.
• Type 2 Diabetes. People, who spend more than 2 hours a day sitting and watching TV or attending a meeting, increase their risk of getting type 2 diabetes by an unbelievable 20%. Interrupting sedentary lifestyle with exercise can decrease the risk dramatically.
• Obesity. Sitting down for many hours in a row can lead to weight gain. Obesity is a common cause of a variety of diseases.
• Back and neck pain. Lower back, neck, and shoulder pains are among the most common risk of a sedentary meeting culture.
• Psychological distress. Sedentary meeting culture promotes psychological distress and depression. So it’s highly unlikely that sitting down for hours in a row can stimulate brain activity and help with brainstorming.
• Anxiety. Long-term sitting can stimulate anxiety, making productive meetings downright impossible.
Overall, the sedentary meeting culture doesn’t just reduce the brain and body activity, it brings about a variety of unpleasant risks.
From Sedentary to Active: Meeting Improvement Solutions
The sedentary meeting culture can be improved by throwing some exercising into the mix. The benefits of walking meetings have been discussed many times. Meetings on the go provide a great opportunity for brainstorming. Combining physical and brain exercises usually leads to impressive results.
The importance of taking frequent breaks during the meetings can’t be overlooked. The viewing of nature and breathing fresh air improves cardiovascular health and boosts brain activity. Meanwhile, walking outside is an exercise our bodies crave while leading a sedentary lifestyle.
Unfortunately, the majority of team leaders face a big lack of time. Taking frequent breaks and going on relaxing walks sounds amazing, but the time they take is often unavailable. If you are too busy to hold a walking meeting or take frequent breaks, you may want to consider cycling.
Cycling is one of the most beneficial exercises for your brain and body. How can you cycle during a meeting? By taking advantage of Flexispot Desk Bike V9. This cycling simulator offers noiseless operation and can become a great solution to the team leaders, who want to eliminate the dangers of the sedentary meeting culture.
