Research says 'Get Active at Monash'

Monday 26 October

Katie Bird - Media Intern

New research conducted by Medibank Private has revealed that lack of movement during the day can result in serious health concerns.

The ‘Stand Up Australia’ study revealed most workers spent an average of seventy percent of the working day sitting, an action that can potentially contribute to health issues such as Type 2 Diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Associate Professor David Dunstan, Head of Physical Activity at Baker IDI and a VicHealth Research Fellow commented on the results of the study:

"We are now starting to understand that prolonged sitting may be an important contributor to poor health. This may be due to the absence of muscle contractions which are essential for energy expenditure and glucose control.”

This research coincides with research conducted by Monash University earlier this year which indicated that daily physical activity can have a great impact upon health and well being.

The Get Up and Go program is a Monash University Initiative aimed to increase daily exercise and decrease health risks by walking with a buddy for thirty minutes at least once a week.  The program began September 15 and ran for five weeks gaining strong support from members at all Monash campuses.

Monash has a history of developing successful programs aimed at increasing health throughout the community, including the Healthy Eating and Training program which provides participants with weekly consultations to discuss and provide healthy eating and training programs to gain and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  The twelve week program is open to all Monash students, staff, alumni and community.  Further details can be found here.

Monash Sport offers a wide variety of solutions to get you active and out of your chair during the day including Fit Camp, social sport and group fitness classes to name just a few, more information can be found by visiting our website: www.sport.monash.edu.au

Social sport is a great social way to keep active during working hours