Occupational Survival
Dispatching from the Chair
Twelve hours in a chair. That’s a dispatch shift. People imagine it’s just a sore butt and maybe some pins and needles, but the truth is uglier: sitting too long is trying to kill us.
Even active people — gym-goers, runners, people who actually enjoy burpees — can’t fully cancel out the risks of being parked in a chair for most of the day. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, spine issues. Apparently, our bodies don’t care if you biked ten miles before work. Sit too long, and the risks still climb.
“Well,” I thought, “I’ll just stand then. Problem solved.” Wrong. Stand too long, and you’re trading sore discs for sore hips, feet that scream, and circulation that makes your legs feel like they belong to a statue. Pick your poison.
So I had a talk with a kinesiologist, who studies how the human body moves (and how we ruin it). Their advice? Movement! To no surprise, as it is literally their specialty. Not sitting vs. standing, but both. Roughly 75% sitting, 25% standing, with breaks every 45 minutes. Quick breaks — to stretch, pace, refill water, or fake a bathroom break! The healthiest dispatcher, it turns out, is a fidgety dispatcher. Obviously, this advice lives in the real world, not the ideal one — where calls stack and staffing is thin, the word ‘break’ is a generous one.
There are office “exercises” too — stretches, goofy routines, the kind of stuff that makes you look like you’re auditioning for interpretive dance. But if everyone joins in, it’s not so bad. I’d like to see crews that start or end their shifts with group stretches. I’m still holding my breath for that one!
And then there’s the diet side. I once asked a veteran dispatcher how she stayed healthy on shifts. Her answer? “Eat fruit before the donuts get you.” That’s dispatcher wisdom right there.
So, here’s the hard truth: there’s no magic console posture. Sit, stand, move, snack like a grown-up. It’s not glamorous, but it might mean fewer sore backs, less burnout, and maybe even a longer career. And I‘m talking about your career in being a human. Dispatch is already tough enough without arthritis and diabetes tagging along.
So, will I change my habits? Honestly, I don’t know. But the research, the experts, and my aching spine all agree: if we want to survive this job, we can’t just sit tight.
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I actually wrote this story 10 years ago! One of my first attempts. Even then, I was already itching to write stories about dispatching, even if I didn’t quite know what shape they’d take. Sharing the perspectives and nuances about dispatching always seemed so unexplored. I wasn’t just writing about posture or diet. I was circling around the idea of how this job takes a toll in ways non-dispatchers don’t see.
It was about 5 years into the job that I started feeling the long hours. The sedentary aspect of this job was weighing on me. I couldn’t stop thinking about the health consequences. So, I took it to heart, and became very mindful of being immobile for too long. For the sitting and standing debate — I was a little surprised to hear a 75/25 ratio in favor of sitting. But the logic was simple: standing isn’t the goal — movement is.
Standing still for hours is just sitting with different pain.
Taken to heart, I would wear out the up-down controls on my desk. Then came the desk-ercises. I’ve coined that word, so you owe me a nickel if you use it. I was a little self-conscious when doing stretches and goofy physio moves at my console. It got a few side-eyes from coworkers — you know, the “what the hell is he doing over there?” looks. That changed to curiosity and just like the ever-changing nature in dispatch, became pretty normal. And they worked. Lots of strength maintenance even allowed me to beat a bout of tennis elbow — or more aptly — keyboard elbow. Soon enough coworkers were joining in, bringing their own exercise equipment. At one point, we even had squat challenges in the comms room, which helped with camaraderie.
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Overall, I definitely feel better about the on-shift sedentary job style. But does the advice on movement and immobility still hold up? Ten years later, I had to find out. I was able to track down that same kinesiologist — quite easily as he is my brother! Now, a full-blown physiotherapist, I reached out to see if his thoughts have changed on the matter…
Q: J-Bear! — How’s the new practice? I hear Power Physio is doing well!
A: Chuckers! The practice is doing really well. It’s a growing business, and I’m getting a firsthand look at what small business owners actually do day to day. I definitely fit the sad cliché of working way too hard, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way right now. I’m lucky to have a job where being healthy is literally part of the job description.
Q: Do you remember me asking you about combating the sedentary nature of Emergency Dispatching? I still have the full interview! How would you say your advice held up?
A: I’m pleasantly surprised by my old answers — I guess not much really changes in ten years. The 75/25 ratio is still good, though I must emphasize that movement is still key here. Just this week I came across a large meta-analysis from 2016 with solid evidence suggesting that one hour of vigorous exercise can significantly offset eight hours of sitting. Full Study here
Consider the average 40-hour work week: that’s about five hours of relatively high-intensity exercise needed to counteract that sitting time. That’s a tall order, but that’s what our bodies really need. There’s a good old saying “If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness”
Q: Words of wisdom right there. This is quite the reality check.
A: The unfortunate truth is that every occupation comes with hazards. Part of our social contract is trading efficiency and modern comforts for those risks — still far better than the short, hard lives of the past. At the end of the day, it’s up to each and every one of us. We are the masters of our own domains.
Q: Any new tips and tricks for us Dispatchers?
A: Develop good habits and build a culture where you and your coworkers constantly challenge each other. Everyone benefits from having a driving force in the office — someone who keeps motivation high and people moving. I’m lucky to work with a coworker who does exactly that.
Right now, we’re focused on improving our “hang time.” Our goal by May 2026 is for everyone to be able to hang from a bar for two minutes straight. At the end of each lunch break, we spend about 10 minutes rotating through hanging, push-ups, and squats. These are small challenges I probably wouldn’t take on alone, but creating a shared culture of movement and exercise keeps the fire burning and makes it sustainable.
Thanks for the hopeful advice and the horrifying truth brother! Keep up the good work and congrats on the new business!
Well there you have it! Quick math: a 12 hour shift means roughly an hour and a half of hard exercise just to balance the immobility! That order is indeed a tall one for us dispatchers! And our bodies keep score, quietly, over years. Dispatch trains us to sit still while everything else is on fire. Moving won’t make the job easier — but it might make it survivable. So, don’t forget to move when you are Behind the Desk, and always be mindful when wearing the Headset.
