︎ Movement By Design
Re-imagining the Modern Day Workplace that encourages movement
By Amy Chew ︎
Hypothesis
“In many ways we’ve engineered physical activity out of our lives, so we’ve got to find ways to put it back into our lives…”1
Our workplace has changed drastically in terms of the type of work we do and the context in which we perform our work. Today an individual who works at an office will spend 15 hours at their desk and additional hours sitting if they have a long commute home.
Studies show that sedentary lifestyles can increase all causes of mortality, double the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes,
and obesity, and increase the risks of colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression and anxiety.2
Additionally, it is found that sedentary behavior can also reduce the physical size of critical areas in the brain of middle aged and older
adults.3
“In many ways we’ve engineered physical activity out of our lives, so we’ve got to find ways to put it back into our lives…”1
Our workplace has changed drastically in terms of the type of work we do and the context in which we perform our work. Today an individual who works at an office will spend 15 hours at their desk and additional hours sitting if they have a long commute home.
Studies show that sedentary lifestyles can increase all causes of mortality, double the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes,
and obesity, and increase the risks of colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression and anxiety.2
Additionally, it is found that sedentary behavior can also reduce the physical size of critical areas in the brain of middle aged and older
adults.3
- What?
Intentionally designed office furniture that provides opportunities for employees to stretch and do low effort activity that will improve employee’s overall muscle flexibility and strength, which will increase employee mood, and increase productivity levels.
- So What?
In the long term, finding ways to be active will be a norm and expectation of the workplace.
Figure 1: Diagram of long term strategy of how
workplace can embrace movement in their
culture
Figure 2: Building handle bars with resistance into a desk to provide range of motion for arm exercises
Figure 3: Grooves and tactile table design provides space for user to stretch their arms
Figure 2: Building handle bars with resistance into a desk to provide range of motion for arm exercises
Figure 3: Grooves and tactile table design provides space for user to stretch their arms
Design to Outcomes
Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight.4 There is mounting evidence suggests that all movement — even low-effort activity — counts for preventing cardiovascular disease as people age. In this study, low effort activity is considered to be activities like making your bed or strolling in a park.5
︎
Works Cited
1. New Source of Rise in Obesity, New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/health/nutrition/26fat.html
2. World Health Organization. Physical inactivity a leading cause of disease and disability, warns WHO https://www.who.int/ mediacentre/news/releases/release23/en/
3. PLOS one. Sedentary behavior associated with reduced medial temporal lobe thickness in middle-aged and older adults. https:// journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comments?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0195549.
4. Harvard Health Publishing. Even light physical activity may help your heart. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/even-lightphysical-activity-may-help-your-heart
5. Harvard Health Publishing. The Importance of Stretching. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-importance-ofstretching