The interference of sedentarism in the environments.

qua, 07 de abr de 2021 às 17:04

Taking advantage of the world health day today, I would like to talk to you about a very important topic: SEDENTARISM and how through your projects you can create healthy habits.

Sedentary lifestyle is considered one of the evils of today, the fact is that we have an increasingly sedentary body and an increasingly loaded mind with fast information, accelerated thoughts ...

The lack of movement impacts both the health and the productivity of the occupants of the built spaces, this is actually a reality in corporate environments and even in residential environments, after all it is not easy to get out of our comfort zone.


The design of the environments can definitely favor movement and prevent sedentary lifestyle, through projects that involve characteristics related to dynamism.

organizational culture I separated some tips for you to include in the projects, when these are in accordance with the organizational culture of the company, in order to promote the movement of the occupants:

1. Leisure in spaces

Inclusion of swings, slides, manual games favor movement in addition to awakening emotional memories and disruption of work.



2. It's okay to use the stairs:

Going up and down the stairs works the muscles of the legs, the calf is considered our second heart since it helps in the venous return, this action also helps to lose weight and increases the resistance.


Source: Nixon Peabody’s Washington D.C. Office (Photographer: Eric Laignel)
3. External areas
Staying for a long time in static postures in front of the computer exponentially increases the chances of increased fatigue and discomfort directly related to sedentary lifestyle.
In this context, external areas favor the diversity of the environment, in addition to mental rest and stimulation of the body, in addition these areas also favor social interaction and the integration of teams.
Which generates countless benefits among them: mental clarity, new ideas, more productivity and consequently renewed energies.

Source: https://www.gensler.com/blog/how-should-office-buildings-change-in-a-post-pandemic-world

4. Dining areas

We know the importance of including dining and coffee areas in the environments. The big difference here is the location of these areas.

To prevent sendetharism, locate these areas with a certain distance from the operational areas so that users need to walk to them in addition whenever possible to encourage healthy eating through the environment, which is a way of stimulating health habits.


Source: Pinterest
5. Places to practice physical activities
Physical exercise is fundamental in combating physical inactivity, so the inclusion of internal or external areas to practice physical exercises is essential for the maintenance of well-being and health.
Also encouraging the use of bicycles and means of transport that favor movement!
How to do this?
Through the intervention with the human resources and in this way include proper places for the parking of bicycles and other means of transport, in addition to the infrastructure with appropriate places with bathroom with shower and lockers so that they can store the clothes used in the displacement and / or practice of physical activities.
Source: Pinterest

ioning of bins, printers and drinking fountains
Position bins, printers and drinking fountains so that employees are more mobile to use these resources.
In addition to the break in the routine of sitting all day, employees will be able to interact with each other and favor social integration.


Source: Pinterest
7. Specific locations for stretching, yoga and / or guided meditation sessions.

Such practices are scientifically proven with countless benefits for the body and mind, designing specific areas for these practices is an important strategy to favor healthy habits and decrease sedentary lifestyle.

With these simple changes in some aspects of your project they can generate several benefits for the employees / users of this environment. Encouraging healthy behaviors and habits increases the satisfaction of the occupants of the space as well as positively interfering with the quality of life.



Source: Pinterest
The application of ergonomics in your projects generates a great differential in your career in addition to increasing your technical arguments and the long-term benefits of your project.

Shall we put it into practice?


Cristiane Cantele
Senior Ergonomist
Wellness Sciences Specialist