15 consequences of lack of exercise and the solution!

What are the consequences of a lack of exercise? How does poor office furniture affect exercise? And: What is the solution to prevent a lack of exercise in the workplace? We will explain this in detail in this article.

In this article you will learn:

What is lack of exercise?

Lack of exercise due to working in the office

15 consequences of lack of exercise for health

The solution: intuitive movement in everyday work

Lack of exercise has numerous negative effects on our body and health. Low physical activity affects the entire organism. The consequences can be drastic. The main reasons for too little exercise are our prosperity
Among other things:

- Shop online instead of going to the store
- Use escalators and elevators instead of climbing stairs
- Travel short distances by car instead of by bike
- Use electric scooters instead of kick scooters
- Watching sports on the couch instead of exercising yourself

and our jobs. Office jobs have become an integral part of the modern working world. Sitting has become the permanent position in everyday life for millions of people. A lack of movement at work is simply part of it. What's more, we often sit in an incorrect position on poor equipment, sit in the car or on the train after work and then immediately make ourselves comfortable on the sofa.

And even though many people have the option of working from home, not least since the Corona pandemic, exercise is still in short supply. On the contrary: the problem of lack of exercise is getting worse. Studies show that we move even less when working from home than we already do. "Of the recommended 10,000 steps a day, many people now only manage 2,000 a day. This development is alarming," says Aeris founder Josef Glöckl.

Incorrect posture and lack of movement in the home office. Woman sits on the floor and works.
The lack of exercise is becoming even more prevalent, especially in home offices. In addition, the right equipment is often lacking.

The consequences of this long-term lack of exercise range from back pain, obesity and diabetes to cardiovascular disease and depression.

What is lack of exercise?

In order to better understand the negative consequences of a lack of exercise, we first need to know what a lack of exercise actually means.

The definition of lack of exercise
We speak of a lack of exercise when the body's muscles are not sufficiently stressed. However, just 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate activity without physical exertion per week is enough to compensate for this deficit. Alternatively, 75 minutes of sport such as jogging, cycling or swimming is sufficient.

Lack of exercise due to working in a conventional office

In a conventionally furnished office workplace, rigid sitting and a permanent lack of movement are inevitable.

Imagine this: You enter the office in the morning, fresh and full of energy. What do you do first? That's right, get a coffee. Then you stroll relaxed to your desk with the cup in your hand. What happens next? You sit down! And that's it for several hours of movement. Because your desk is set up in such a way that you can't start working if you don't sit down. You start the computer and start your work. All of your work equipment - mouse, keyboard and telephone - are within easy reach, so you don't even need any "unnecessary" movement for this.

The only exceptions to movement are your lunch break and going to meetings. But what do you do there? That's right, you sit down again straight away.

People at work in an open-plan office. Lack of exercise due to incorrect office layout.
In many conventional open-plan offices, freedom of movement is often limited. In addition, the equipment is often the same for all employees.

In the afternoon: the low suddenly hits. Everyone knows it, you could sink into your office chair and fall asleep immediately. The day is finally over, you drag yourself into the car and head home. The well-earned end of the day and a relaxing evening watching TV on the couch await you. After a few hours on the couch, it's time to go to bed. Lying in bed, you scroll through your social media channels and watch a video or two… Oh, it’s so late, now I need to go to sleep quickly, work is waiting for me in 6 hours…

Sure, we have described this day in a very shortened and exaggerated way, but do you see the problem?! Lack of exercise is omnipresent in our everyday lives.

Office furniture as a cause of lack of exercise

Conventional offices are often set up according to economic efficiency criteria. This minimizes the space per employee. In addition, the office furniture is standardized and uniform: a desk, an office chair, monitor, mouse and keyboard. There is no individual adjustment to the individual. However, not all office furniture is equally suitable for everyone. Unfortunately, people and the health risks are rarely considered when setting up conventional offices. On the contrary: For German offices, the requirements for the design of a workplace are set out in the German Industrial Standard (DIN), among other things, and are defined quite precisely.

In an office workstation that complies with DIN standards, movement during work or even while sitting is not allowed! What is “ergonomic” by definition actually causes back pain, headaches and tension.

15 consequences of lack of exercise

1. Back pain
Back pain is now the number one widespread disease in Germany. According to an analysis by statutory health insurance companies from 2019, there are around 40 million sick days every year. And the trend is rising. The reason: when we work sitting down, we remain in an unnatural position for a longer period of time. The backrest and armrests mean that we sit in a tilted position. The muscles weaken and can no longer support the spine optimally. The consequences are incorrect posture - the so-called hunchback - and permanent incorrect loading of the spine and intervertebral discs. This incorrect loading over a long period of time can lead to chronic back pain and even a slipped disc.

The solution is obvious: regular exercise! This trains and strengthens the muscles – this is the best prevention against back pain

Woman with severe back pain holds her back. Long periods of sitting at a desk and poor posture are the causes of back pain.
Back pain is the number one health problem in Germany. A common cause of back problems is a permanently incorrect posture when sitting and too little exercise.

2. Headache
There are many different reasons for headaches and they can also have other causes such as dehydration. However, one fact is that a long-term lack of exercise and the resulting muscle tension (see point 3) can affect the head area. Another cause: long periods of sitting in a rigid position reduce the oxygen supply to the brain. Regular exercise improves breathing and therefore the oxygen supply to the muscles and brain. This prevents headaches.

Tip: In addition to exercise, ensure that the office is regularly aired and ventilated!

3. Muscle tension
Muscle tension in the neck and shoulder area as well as in the arms is a painful result of a lack of exercise. The muscles are permanently tense, which reduces blood flow and hardens after a short time. If you are already suffering from tension, you can relieve the pain with 3 targeted methods.

- Heat: The targeted heat on the skin improves blood circulation and loosens tension.
- Exercise! At least 30 minutes of gentle exercise a day, such as a walk, stimulates blood circulation and loosens the muscles.
- Avoid protective posture: Despite the pain, maintain a natural posture.

4. Fatigue
Little exercise means little oxygen supply. If you sit in a hunched position, you cannot breathe as deeply. This means that the brain is not supplied with enough oxygen. The result: tiredness and fatigue. This is how the well-known afternoon slump occurs, for example.

Man sleeping with his head on the desk and keyboard. Extreme tiredness due to lack of exercise.
It doesn't have to be so bad that you fall asleep on the table. But everyone knows the afternoon slump. Sitting rigidly means that your body and brain are supplied with less oxygen. The result: you become weak and tired.

5. Poor concentration
A reduced ability to concentrate is also a result of a lack of exercise. Your brain can only perform at its best if it is properly supplied with oxygen and nutrients. In addition to a healthy diet, exercise is essential to staying mentally fit throughout the day and being able to concentrate at work. As you know, "If you don't use it, you lose it." This also applies to the mind.

6. High blood pressure
A common condition caused by a lack of physical activity is high blood pressure. In addition to a lack of exercise, a high-salt diet, high alcohol consumption and stress can also lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for a heart attack or stroke. Regular exercise, even at low intensity, noticeably lowers blood pressure.

7. Obesity
The cause of excess weight is always a positive energy balance. This means that more energy is taken in than is used by the body. If we do not exercise enough, the body switches to "rest mode" and energy consumption drops. This lack of exercise, coupled with an often poor diet, triggers a boomerang effect. You gain weight and therefore exercise even less...

Overweight man eats his lunch at his desk. Lack of exercise and the result of obesity.
An often unhealthy diet – eaten quickly while working at a desk – coupled with little exercise: obesity and other long-term problems can be the result.

8. Diabetes type 2
Type 2 diabetes - also known as adult-onset diabetes - does not only affect older people! In our modern world, type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly common among younger people. The reason is often the combination of an unhealthy diet (too many carbohydrates, far too much sugar and fat) and a blatant lack of exercise. This causes the sugar level in the blood to rise, and the hormone insulin produced by the pancreas is no longer sufficient to break down this sugar. The result: diabetes, you become diabetic.

Without treatment, type 2 diabetes can lead to long-term health problems. A healthy lifestyle change and medication treatment can prevent this.

9. Cardiovascular diseases
The heart is also a muscle. And muscles need to be moved. Consequently, a lack of exercise means that the heart is no longer sufficiently stressed and consequently loses performance. If physical exertion then occurs, the heart is overwhelmed even with minimal exertion, such as climbing stairs. The result: shortness of breath and dizziness, among other things, as the transport of nutrients and oxygen through the cardiovascular system becomes worse.

10. Digestive problems
In fact, a lack of exercise is a major risk factor for digestive problems. The reason is simple: exercise creates tension and pressure, which the organs need in order to be able to function properly and receive optimal blood flow. In addition, the stomach and intestines are unnaturally compressed when sitting and are therefore unable to expand freely in the abdominal cavity.

11. Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is damage to the cartilage in joints. It occurs particularly frequently in the shoulders, knees and hips. But the hands can also be affected. This joint wear occurs when there is a lack of exercise because the cartilage in the joints is not supplied with enough fluid and the metabolic products are not adequately removed from the joint. Those affected often suffer from great pain in the joints.

Woman with sore hands and arthrosis in her hands. Incorrect posture at work and lack of exercise cause arthrosis.
Long-term consequences such as arthritis can also occur in the hands. The reason: an unnatural posture when working with a mouse and keyboard and too little movement to relieve the strain on the joints.

12. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is the technical term for bone loss. This disease leads to a decrease in bone density and the breakdown of bone substance. The skeleton becomes more fragile. Osteoporosis mostly affects older people, but in recent years it has also become more common among younger people. Exercise is the best way to counteract bone loss. Why? Activity puts strain on the bones and thus builds up bone substance. The best way to prevent osteoporosis is exercise in the fresh air (for example a short walk in the sunshine) in combination with a calcium-rich diet.

13. Poor immune system
The immune system is also significantly weakened by a lack of exercise over a long period of time. Physical activity stimulates the production of defense cells. If there is frequent physical inactivity, the immune system also shuts down and we are more susceptible to pathogens and diseases.

14. Increased risk of stress
Everyone knows stress! But maybe you've noticed how good your mood is after an hour of exercise and how bad you feel in contrast when you've been "lounging" in your office chair for 8 hours or more. Why is that? It's simple: stress is a natural reaction to pressure. The hormones released put the body on alert. However, in our digitalized world, deadline pressure, constant availability, social media activities, online meetings and much more now put us under constant stress. You're stressed!

Exercise is the most important outlet for this. Physical exertion, such as sport, releases the hormone serotonin, which reduces stress hormones.

15. Burn out and depression
In the worst case, a long-term lack of exercise not only leads to stress, but also has serious psychological consequences, such as depression or burnout. Studies have shown that people with a sedentary lifestyle are more susceptible to depression. The increased amount of working from home and the resulting lack of social interaction, combined with little exercise, also increases the risk of depression. The reason: Just like the body, the mind is not designed to be permanently inactive. This means that your brain needs to be stimulated and constantly needs new stimuli to stay active and healthy.

Man with burnout at his desk. Depression and burnout as a result of lack of exercise.
If stress hormones are not reduced through exercise – for example through sport – long-term stress can, in the worst case, lead to burnout and depression.

Solution to lack of exercise: Intuitive movement in everyday working life

In order to effectively prevent the risk factor of lack of exercise, it is important to actively integrate exercise into your daily work routine. Even a small amount of daily exercise significantly reduces the risk of illness.

It is not as difficult to integrate intuitive movement into your everyday life as it might seem at first glance. You don't have to exercise every day or come up with an "exercise plan". Ergonomic furniture in the office and home office that is already coordinated with each other will help you to automatically move more while you work and fight back pain and the like. At Aeris, we call this the "Active Office" concept.

Find out how to achieve perfect ergonomics at the workplace here.

What is the “Aeris Active Office” concept?

Fortunately, height-adjustable desks are now more common in many offices than they were a few years ago. However, occasional use alone is not enough to effectively combat a lack of exercise. One big problem: "Conventional height-adjustable desks are down 90% of the time. That's not enough exercise to really stay productive and healthy," says Aeris Managing Director Josef Glöckl.

The "Aeris Active Office" concept provides a solution. The Aeris Active Office does not follow any rigid standards. On the contrary: your office equipment becomes a space in which you can move around intuitively. It is designed in such a way that it can be perfectly adapted to each individual.

Woman sits at a height-adjustable desk on the Aeris Swopper. More exercise in the home office promotes health.
The new Aeris Active Office Desk allows you to quickly switch between standing and sitting. The Aeris Swopper keeps you moving even when you're sitting, and the Aeris Muvmat standing mat ensures you always stand ergonomically correctly.

"For this purpose, for example, we developed the Aeris Active Office Desk. This table has two divided work levels - a sitting work surface and a standing work surface - both of which are height-adjustable. This makes intuitive movement during work and quickly switching between sitting and standing very easy." And the best thing: You no longer have to worry about constantly moving the table up and down and you don't even have to interrupt your work to switch between sitting and standing.

Find out more about the new Aeris Active Office Desk here.

Tip: Do you already have another height-adjustable desk? Then it's best to set a reminder manually and try to switch between standing and sitting at least every 30 minutes.

The Aeris Active Office concept is rounded off by a movement-promoting office chair such as the legendary Aeris Swopper. This ergonomic office stool keeps you moving even while you're sitting. This keeps you fit and productive all day long.

In the video: This movement makes the Aeris Swopper so unique

But what do you do when work no longer takes place in the office but is location-independent? We'll explain the solution in the next section.

Individual movement concepts for hybrid working

Studies show that we move significantly less in our home office than in our traditional office routine. This means that the lack of exercise is drastically exacerbated by the modern, location-independent working world. The problem: Unlike the office, the home office is not regulated by law. The office furniture and technical equipment are often significantly worse than in the workplace. Many people don't even have a study and sit on the couch or at the dining table for hours. All of this leads to poor posture, little exercise and health problems.

With the hyper-personalization of the working world, the office and home office are merging.
“

But what is the solution to this lack of exercise? Individual exercise concepts for each employee. This means that a new "set of rules" must be created that is tailored to each individual.

"We need to break old patterns of thinking and stop thinking in categories such as office or home office. The focus must be on individualized workplace solutions. This means we should ask ourselves: What do people need to stay physically and mentally fit, productive and healthy? In English, they say "one size fits no one" and that's true. Everyone has different needs, requirements and personal circumstances. With such "hyper-personalization" of the working world, the office and home office merge," says Patrick Wurm, Chief Growth Officer at Aeris.

Man sitting in the home office on the ergonomic office chair Aeris Swopper.
Especially if you frequently switch between the office and your home office, you should make sure you have the right equipment at your home office.

How does such a personalized exercise concept work? In addition to the appropriate exercise-promoting equipment, employers in particular have a duty to fight the lack of exercise. Patrick Wurm: "Companies must create flexible and transparent working hours in order to enable exercise in between - for example for sports, shopping during the lunch break or housework. Housework and doing laundry during working hours: what would have potentially been grounds for dismissal in the past, employers should now definitely take into account in their exercise concepts for hybrid working! A short break with physical activity, that's exactly what we need in the home office to stay fresh and have energy. It sounds very banal now, but in the old ways of thinking it is impossible during working hours."

Lack of exercise: Integrate exercises against back pain into the working day

As mentioned several times, back pain and tension are a common result of a lack of exercise. To effectively prevent back problems, you can easily integrate a quick back workout into your workday. The following exercises from Nike fitness trainer Cecilia Zonta - with and without an office chair - can be completed in just a few minutes.

Now it's your turn: keep moving and don't give back pain, tension, tiredness, etc. a chance!

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