Reducing sedentary behaviour

It includes activities that require low energy expenditure and little physical effort, such as:

Sitting

Lying down/reclining

Reading

Using the phone

Watching TV or videos

Other forms of screen based entertainment

Other social or leisure activities

What is sedentary behaviour?

1 in 3

The number of workers that spend at least 3/4 of their time at work sitting

22 – 23 hours

How long the average office worker spends a week sitting (compared to less than 4 hours for labourers)

6 hours

How long the average Australian worker spends a week sitting for transport

Sitting at work: the stats

Stand and take a break from computer/tasks every 30 mins (e.g. stretch)

Standing during meetings/toolbox talks/ phone calls/teleconferences

Walking meetings

Swap tasks throughout the day

Eat lunch away from your desk/table

Consider sit-stand workstations

Walk to colleagues to ask questions

Walk to printer every time you print

Drink more water

Move your bin away from your desk

What you can do: at work

Active transport– walk, cycle, take public transport

Park further away/get off bus earlier

Plan regular breaks during long trips

Keep an umbrella/wet weather gear at work to walk to meetings in rain

Walk to local shops/restaurants

Walk the kids to school

What you can do: in transit

Get off the couch during commercials

Do chores whiles watching TV

Stand to read paper/eat breakfast

Stand when on the phone

Play outside with the kids

Have TV free days at home

What you can do: at home

What you can do:

30 minutes of…

Light housework burns 380kJ

Cooking burns 300kJ

Vacuuming burns 550kJ

Laundry burns 350kJ

Do all of this and burn approx. 1600kJ!

Take small steps to modify your lifestyle to help reduce your sitting time:

Consider opportunities at work to sit lesse.g. standing during meetings/toolbox talks, walking to talk to someone instead of the phone/email, rotating tasks during the day

Consider opportunities in transit to sit lesse.g. consider standing on public transport, park further away from your destination

Consider opportunities at home to sit lesse.g. do chores whilst watching TV, stand to eat breakfast

Tips to take away

For more information contact: xxxxxxxxxx

Any questions?