For Layla Badri, 37, a writer, it's eight hours a day, six days a week. Alia Noufah, 25, an office administrator from Ajman, estimates it's at least 40 hours a week. For Jane Rollon, 29, a Dubai-based receptionist, 50 hours a week is the norm.
A snapshot survey carried out in the waiting room of a leading Dubai chiropractor sheds light upon a worrying trend that could be taking the ultimate toll on the lives of UAE citizens. "For most of our patients, their occupations involve sitting for long periods of time," explains Dr Pamela Leader at Chiropractic Dubai.
In a poll of her patients carried out for The National, Leader found that most spent around 50 hours a week sitting down. "But that is probably underestimated since most people only consider their working time," she adds. "They forget that they might go home and spend hours watching TV or on the internet."
'Sitting Disease' cuts lives short
In July this year, the UK medical journal The Lancet revealed that a lack of exercise is now causing as many deaths worldwide as smoking. A study by 33 researchers from across the globe showed that one in every 10 deaths from diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, breast and colon cancer stem in part from inactivity.
Research from the Harvard School of Public Health in the US shows that for every two hours you spend seated (whether at a desk or driving) rather than being physically active increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 14 per cent.
A University of Western Australia study revealed that people who spent more than 10 years in sedentary jobs were almost twice as likely to have developed a tumour in the area of the lower bowel called the distal colon.
"Prolonged sitting promotes a lack of whole-body muscle movement," says Leader. "Recent evidence has shown that sitting for long hours, coupled with a lack of exercise and a poor, unbalanced diet, can raise your risk of early death from cardiovascular diseases."
"It's an issue that's of particular concern - or it should be - for workers in countries like the UAE," says Nayab Sultan, a former WHO Consultant in Occupational Health. "The nature of the physical climate, working long hours, long commuting times, dependence on driving rather than walking, poor dietary habits and a general lack of physical exercise are all compounding health factors in the Emirates for many workers, particularly those who sit for a large portion of their day."
Condemned to a 'desk sentence'
The sedentary lifestyle in the UAE coupled with a failure to engage in even the minimum recommended amount of daily exercise is having ever more severe health implications. "Often employees in high-stress jobs are being condemned to a desk sentence," says Sultan. "When it comes to health and safety, there have been significant improvements in the safety universally, such as on construction sites, but the protection of the health of workers in most industries still leaves much to be desired."
Since the global economic downturn, there is a clear increase in the number of heart attacks in the working environment, as well as cases of type 2 diabetes and mental illnesses as a direct result of work-related stress, as workers struggle to keep their jobs and meet their financial responsibilities.
Leader's patients report being able to breathe and sleep better, as well as walk with much more ease, after their chiropractic treatments - but the underlying causes for the headaches, neck pain, back problems and a multitude of other health complaints that the "sitting disease" can spark remains.
"The UAE has a very strong work ethic and from the questions I ask my patients, I believe people often work longer hours and have more stress," she says. "Employers should invest in better ergonomic equipment to suit each employee. Regulations in the US and parts of Europe encourage this, but sadly, only a few companies in the UAE take the trouble to ensure their employees have the correct set up."
Tips to take
Don't fall victim to sitting disease - make these moves now to change your life
Break it down
"It's important to take regular breaks, but people may think moving from their desk and sitting in a canteen or coffee shop is enough. Really it's not," says Dr Pamela Leader. "We recommend getting up for a two-minute walk around the office with regular stretches at least every hour but preferably every half-hour. Consider standing desks and holding standing meetings and book an ergonomic and spinal check to ensure that you have your workstation ergonomically. Visit www.chiropracticdubai.com.
Work it out
While walking to and from work may not be an option in the UAE joining a gym does offer the ideal setting to combat all that sitting. Doing 150 minutes of exercise per week will cut your risk of developing colon cancer by a third. Sadly, a joint Dubai Sports Council (DSC) and Dubai Health Authority study recently revealed that only 36 per cent of Dubai residents are involved in physical exercise.
Make it a team effort
Start up a work-based sport team or group of gym buddies to motivate you all to exercise after work or during your lunch break. A recent University of Bristol (UK) study found that employees who enjoyed a workout before going to the office were better equipped to handle whatever the day threw at them.
What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
Abu Dhabi World Pro 2019 remaining schedule:
Wednesday April 24: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-6pm
Thursday April 25: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-5pm
Friday April 26: Finals, 3-6pm
Saturday April 27: Awards ceremony, 4pm and 8pm
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
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- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
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- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
Saturday results
Qatar beat Kuwait by 26 runs
Bahrain beat Maldives by six wickets
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by seven wickets
Monday fixtures
Maldives v Qatar
Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
Bahrain v UAE
* The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
RESULT
Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds: Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')
Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.