Attention desk jockeys, you need to move. Sitting still for extended periods of time on a daily basis is one of the least healthy things possible for our spines. I know that many people have busy and stressful jobs that require long, grueling hours sitting in front of computers. This article gives some tips for those of us who are literally stuck at our desks weekly.
Let’s start with an anatomy lesson. Our spines are not designed to be in a compressed, sitting position, for long periods of time. We are intelligently constructed to stand and move around throughout the day. An old adage that rings true to today’s modern world is, “sitting to your spine is like sugar to your teeth.” Think about that for a moment. We are literally damaging our vertebrae, joints, discs and soft tissue by sitting all day long.
What can be done about this?
- Getting up and taking a 60 second walk around your office can significantly reduce the damage from sitting all day.
- Stretching is essential for postural health, simply extending your arms and pushing them backwards against a wall for 30 seconds will make a huge improvement on overall tension.
- Remember, you’re not alone. Look at the rest of your co-workers, find a stretching partner and spend 5 minutes / day with partner stretches.
- If smokers are entitled to smoke breaks, healthy people should be entitled to stretching breaks. I’m confident your boss will not have a problem with this.
- Walk the stairs at work at least once a day.
As you can see there are plenty of solutions to break the daily stagnation many of us are subjected to at work. Aches and pains, not to mention gaining weight can all result from hunching at a desk. Small additions of movement to our workdays can significantly improve our posture.
Remember, movement is life. The more you move, the more alert you become. The more productive you can be and the happier your mindset can be. Let’s get moving people!!
