The office here at Medical News Today HQ is a pleasant place to work. It is a largely tranquil place (until somebody decides to use the shredder) where the tea is plentiful and occasionally a passing dog can be spotted through the window.

"On the idyllic surface, it seems as though it would be a perfectly safe and healthy place to work. There are certainly no obvious hazards of the kind that are commonplace on construction sites or in factories, and many office workers enjoy the benefits of rigid working days, rather than having their body clocks thrown by changing shift patterns. But offices are not without their hazards, even if these are not as overt as those in other environments. One significant problem comes from being sat at a desk for most of the day. A recent study has suggested that the amount of time spent sitting each day is associated with a higher risk of various diseases. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), around 21,638,470 people are employed in jobs defined as office and administrative support occupations. However, this figure does not include other occupations, such as management roles, business and financial operations occupations or computer occupations that are also likely to be based in office environments. In this Spotlight, we investigate what the health-conscious office worker needs to be wary of if they are going to complete their 9-5 with both body and mind intact, and if there are any ways for them to maintain peak fitness during their employment."

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