Our Work Days as Caged Monkeys (Part 2) – Changing times
Arto Pesola
Post first appeared on Fibion.com, August 4, 2014,
in Behavior Change, Corporate Wellness, Health, Sedentary Behavior, Weight Management
In the 1960s almost half of jobs required moderate physical activity. Nowadays, only 20% of jobs require at least moderate physical activity. It is no surprise that four out of five Finns does their work sitting in front of a screen. These days, making the grade at work is about being smart and less about having endurance, strength and skills.
Here are some facts:
- The amount of energy needed at work has decreased by 140 kcal in men and 124 kcal in women per day over the past 30 years. This is equal to the amount that our population has gained weight.
- Office workers are estimated to spend 80000 hours at their work place over their entire career.
- Office workers’ muscles are passive an average of 67% of the workday and at the worst up to 90% passive.
- Finland, at this point, sits the most of any European country.
- Office workers’ daily muscle activity approximately the same as that of a caged monkey!
