De-stress your body week
To mark the second week (17 October – 23 October) of Health and Safety month and help promote our theme ‘De-stress your mind and body’, Comcare is encouraging employees to focus on their physical health this week. What are you doing about it?
The risks
While Musculo-skeletal disorders can often arise from repetitive movement or conducting manual tasks, it has become clear that sedentary work practices – long periods of sitting - can also be associated with significant negative health outcomes.
Sedentary practices are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Studies have shown that long periods of sitting can increase your risk of heart disease by 50%, even if you exercise regularly (Heart Foundation). Studies also indicate that we spend more time sitting than we think and that people tend to underestimate the amount of time they spend sitting overall (Medibank, 2009).
What this means for my workplace?
Don’t wait for the costs of injuries and absences from the workplace. You can reduce the likelihood of a physical injury/illness at your workplace by encouraging staff to take regular breaks, to partake in regular exercise and adopt active work practices. Breaking up sedentary time, simply by standing up for a short period, or stretching has health benefits.
For more information on reducing the likelihood of a physical injury/illness at your workplace, see our factsheets ‘stand up, sit less and move more’ or ‘sedentary work’ on the sedentary work page.
If you are seeking further advice and support on addressing the risk of sedentary practices in your workplace, contact the Work Health team via the work health website www.comcare.gov.au/workhealth.
Contact:
Phone: