News

Is the standing desk the cure to our sedentary woes?

Alex Hutchinson
Globe and Mail
Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011 4:00PM EST

Now that we’ve accepted the surprising truth about sedentary behaviour – that sitting at a desk all day wreaks havoc on your health, no matter how much you exercise before or after work – the standing desk is having a moment. Desk jockeys everywhere are rising up.

The cashiers of the world, meanwhile, must be scratching their heads.

Do you struggle through sit-ups in the quest for great-looking abs? If so, you might change your exercise routine after you learn what Dr. Stuart McGill has discovered during decades spent as a professor of spine biomechanics in the department of kinesiology.

Just exercising is not enough to protect bones in people with osteoporosis.

Rather a variety of exercise, including aerobic, strength and balance training, is needed to prevent falls and broken bones.

“Walking is not enough to prevent falls,” said Lora Giangregorio, assistant professor in the kinesiology department at the University of Waterloo.

Giangregorio spoke about safe and effective physical activity to reduce the risk of fractures at a recent public education forum in Waterloo, hosted annually by Osteoporosis Canada.

Read article in The Record.

Much of what we know of leisure and gender can be traced to Sue Shaw. She pioneered research on time use and stress; intersections of work, leisure and family; changing ideologies of motherhood and fatherhood; and the role of leisure in reproducing and resisting dominant ideologies. Sue was president of the Academy of Leisure Sciences.

Canada has become a world leader in measuring wellbeing with the launch of a new comprehensive composite index set to challenge the gross domestic product (GDP) as the sole measure of our country's progress

Waterloo students from the department of kinesiology were recognized earlier this month for their contributions to the field of ergonomics at the 42nd annual conference of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists (ACE).

Waterloo Regional Housing with the help of the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact at the University of Waterloo has implemented a 100% no smoking policy on all new leases as of April 1^st, 2011 after many senior residents and individuals state they “are bothered” by the smoke and fear for health concerns.

Ryan Kennedy, a Propel scientist who evaluated the project, has created a video to encourage other communities to enact similar smoke-free policies in multi-unit dwellings.

Read Media Release

(University of Waterloo News Release)

WATERLOO, Ont. (Monday, Aug. 29, 2011) - An ambitious partnership involving the Ontario government, postsecondary sector and Schlegel Villages will develop a centre of excellence for research, training and innovation in senior health care and wellness at the University of Waterloo. The goal is to help Canada better prepare for an aging population.

A recent study by Laura Middleton of the department of kinesiology shows that daily physical activity including keeping active with everyday chores may reduce the chance of developing dementia later on in life.

Read article in The Record

Study by Richard Wells, director of the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders based in the faculty of applied health sciences, examines the link between use of hand-held devices and pain and suggests the consequences often extend well beyond the thumb alone.

“If we’re creating a lot of 17-year-olds, 19-year-olds who have more chronic shoulder, neck and arm problems, then they got a lifetime of problems ahead of them.”

Read more in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.