As our children go back to school this Fall, I wanted to highlight a recent initiative beginning across America called “Stand Up Kids”, aimed at helping keep kids healthier and more engaged at school. In one of the most effective preventative efforts in recent years, the mission of Stand Up Kids is to outfit every public school in America with a stand-up desk to keep our children active, engaged, and healthier into adulthood within the next 10 years. Here are some startling facts concerning our kids inactivity in school:
The Frequency of sitting:
o The average U.S. student is sitting at school an average of 4.5 HOURS A DAY
o For kids ages 8-18, an additional 7 HOURS A DAY in front of a screen, regardless of socioeconomic status
o By combining all of the sitting our children perform throughout the day, you can see our kids are sitting 85% of their waking hours! No wonder we have one of the highest rates of low back pain as we age.
o Studies show that even adding on physical activity (gym class, after school sports, etc) to a sedentary lifestyle is not enough to counteract all of the negative effects of sitting.
The Benefits from standing:
o Normal weight kids burn between 15-25% more calories at standing desks.
o Obese kids burn between 25-35% more calories.
o Kids are more engaged in a standing classroom.
o Standing prevents orthopedic degradation & dysfunction including back and neck pain, repetitive stress injuries, pelvic floor dysfunction, and knee & hip disorders.
By encouraging our children to stay active and avoid prolonged sitting, we can actually prevent long-term movement changes and hopefully lower the incidence of low back pain later in life.
For more information and reference to all of the information provided: http://standupkids.org/standing-vs-sitting/
Happy standing,
Cole Racich, PT, DPT, OCS
