In 2012, the WHO declared the physical inactivity pandemic: a pandemic of diseases related to the amount of sitting in today's society. The workplace as we know it plays an important role in this. Erik Scherder, Neuropsychologist affiliated with the VU, is surprised that companies are not waking up and drastically changing the way they work.
The Dutch norm is that you should exercise for half an hour a day, all together. Erik Scherder advocates a stricter norm: at least half an hour of continuous exercise per day. Currently, only half of the Dutch people meet that standard, and that's a problem. Erik Scherder describes that problem to Wendy van Ierschot (VIE People) in this edition of the Work Professor.
Start at awareness
Understanding why exercise is so important can help activate employees. The first aspect is cerebral blood flow, which is important for thinking. You get blood flow by moving, explains Erik Scherder. The second aspect is controlling the nerves in the brain differently each time. "Every time you activate your brain in a different way it has a positive effect. By moving you do that, because movement is different every time."
The problem of the shop floor
The workplace is set up for sitting. The recent development of the standing desk appears to be only slightly better than sitting. Every hour you spend sitting, you have to walk for half an hour to remove the negative effect of sitting. So the call is clear: Meetings and phone calls should be done while moving whenever possible. Another important factor in activating the brain is making an effort. In the workplace, variety and activation is key. The more often you have the feeling of "what's happening next," the better your day is for your brain. Repetitive work is therefore deadly; you can no longer expect your people to show initiative then.
Erik Scherder concludes with an ideal image: "Surely it would be something if by the next pandemic the whole of the Netherlands, unique in the world, had built up resistance through an active lifestyle." Listen to the entire podcast to hear what we can do right and how we can get more active with an entire company.
Links
What WHO advises on exercise in corona time
University of the Netherlands with Erik Scherder: on the exercise norm in the Netherlands
Contact
Do you have questions or input? Please contact Wendy van Ierschot at wendy@viepeople.com.
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