Emerging evidence suggests that the more time employees spend in their chairs, the more likely they are to develop serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. The July 2015 special issue of “Ergonomics in Design” examines the health and safety effects of the sedentary workplace, the pros and cons of alternatives to sitting at work (for example, sit-stand and treadmill workstations, ball chairs), and proposed workplace design solutions. In the article titled “Stand Up and Move; Your Musculoskeletal Health Depends on It,” researchers review the role of dynamic workstations in relation to health benefits and worker productivity, noting that these furnishings “are potentially beneficial in addressing obesity that results from sedentary work. For all outcomes, the key is to periodically get up and move around”
