Most of us spend the majority of our days at work, and for about 80% of the United States population, that can mean sitting for an average of 7 hours a day. Sitting for this long everyday has not only been linked to an increase in pain, but also heart disease, weight gain, diabetes, brain fog, osteopenia and even certain cancers. Check out this infographic from the Washington Post for details on the negative effects of sitting all day.
These 5 tips can help combat the negative effects of sitting all day AND help break up the workday so you can stay more alert and focused! (What boss wouldn’t want that for their employees?!)
1. Take breaks! I tell my patients everyday, make sure you’re taking breaks though the workday. You should be getting up out of your chair for at least 10 minutes every hour. This could mean standing up when you’re taking a phone call, making extra trips to the copier, or simply getting up to take a break and stretch. Can’t remember to get up every hour? There are some great smart phone apps our there like Stand Up! – These will bing or buzz your phone once an hour to remind you to get up and get moving! Bonus Tip: do some "deskercises" during your breaks - get some great ideas here.
2. Change up your workstation – standing desks are becoming increasingly popular for good reason. Not only can it combat the hazards of sitting all day, but it can also help us burn calories, tone muscle, increase blood flow and improve metabolism. [2] In the office, I notice a significant difference in my patients who use stand-up desks compared to the ones who sit all day – the ones who stand have healthier spines and end up maintaining their adjustments for longer than the ones who sit. Don’t feel like standing all day? Swap out your desk chair for an exercise ball instead! It will force you to maintain good posture and activate your core.
3. Use Proper Ergonomics – If you have to sit in your desk chair, make sure you’re using proper ergonomics. Your feet should be touching the floor with your knees and hips at 90 degrees. (You may need to place something under your feet to prop them up if you’re petite like me!) Your monitor should be directly in front of your head while it’s at a neutral position (at a distance that doesn’t require you to lean in or strain to see the screen). Shoulders should be relaxed and your forearms should be parallel to the floor. Some other great tips on ergonomics can be found here.
4. Find a “Wellness Buddy” – Partner up with a co-worker who wants to start making some healthy changes in his or her life, too. Check in on each other throughout the workday – this could be a reminder for a stretch break, reminder to stand up, or a quick walk to the other person's desk. Research tells us that working out with a partner helps us perform better and stay motivated. [3]
5. Visit Your Chiropractor – Work can be stressful, and this stress can unfortunately lead to stress and damage on your spine and nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments remove areas of interference to your nervous system so your body can more easily adapt to these external stresses, which can prevent problems down the road. Regular chiropractic care has been linked to some great benefits for the workplace including less pain, increase in creativity [4] and improved quality of life [5].
Don’t have a chiropractor yet? Give us a call at 203-355-2830 or request an appointment online to set up your spinal check-up today.
These 5 tips can help combat the negative effects of sitting all day AND help break up the workday so you can stay more alert and focused! (What boss wouldn’t want that for their employees?!)
1. Take breaks! I tell my patients everyday, make sure you’re taking breaks though the workday. You should be getting up out of your chair for at least 10 minutes every hour. This could mean standing up when you’re taking a phone call, making extra trips to the copier, or simply getting up to take a break and stretch. Can’t remember to get up every hour? There are some great smart phone apps our there like Stand Up! – These will bing or buzz your phone once an hour to remind you to get up and get moving! Bonus Tip: do some "deskercises" during your breaks - get some great ideas here.
2. Change up your workstation – standing desks are becoming increasingly popular for good reason. Not only can it combat the hazards of sitting all day, but it can also help us burn calories, tone muscle, increase blood flow and improve metabolism. [2] In the office, I notice a significant difference in my patients who use stand-up desks compared to the ones who sit all day – the ones who stand have healthier spines and end up maintaining their adjustments for longer than the ones who sit. Don’t feel like standing all day? Swap out your desk chair for an exercise ball instead! It will force you to maintain good posture and activate your core.
3. Use Proper Ergonomics – If you have to sit in your desk chair, make sure you’re using proper ergonomics. Your feet should be touching the floor with your knees and hips at 90 degrees. (You may need to place something under your feet to prop them up if you’re petite like me!) Your monitor should be directly in front of your head while it’s at a neutral position (at a distance that doesn’t require you to lean in or strain to see the screen). Shoulders should be relaxed and your forearms should be parallel to the floor. Some other great tips on ergonomics can be found here.
4. Find a “Wellness Buddy” – Partner up with a co-worker who wants to start making some healthy changes in his or her life, too. Check in on each other throughout the workday – this could be a reminder for a stretch break, reminder to stand up, or a quick walk to the other person's desk. Research tells us that working out with a partner helps us perform better and stay motivated. [3]
5. Visit Your Chiropractor – Work can be stressful, and this stress can unfortunately lead to stress and damage on your spine and nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments remove areas of interference to your nervous system so your body can more easily adapt to these external stresses, which can prevent problems down the road. Regular chiropractic care has been linked to some great benefits for the workplace including less pain, increase in creativity [4] and improved quality of life [5].
Don’t have a chiropractor yet? Give us a call at 203-355-2830 or request an appointment online to set up your spinal check-up today.
Sources:
1. Matthews CE, George SM, Moore SC, Bowles HR, Blair A, et al. (2012) Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors and cause-specific mortality in US adults. Am J Clin Nutr 95: 437–445. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.019620
2. http://www.juststand.org/tabid/816/language/en-US/default.aspx
3 .Aerobic exercise is promoted when individual performance affects the group: a test of the Kohler motivation gain effect. Irwin, B.C., Scorniaenchi, J., Kerr, N.L. et al. Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 2012;44(2):151-9.
4. Masarsky, C.S. and M. Todres-Masarsky. “Effect of a Single Chiropractic Adjustment on Divergent Thinking and Creative Output: A Pilot Study, Part I.” Chiropractic Journal of Australia, 2010.
5. Mark J. Marino and Phillippa M. Langrell. A Longitudinal Assessment of Chiropractic Care using a Survey of Self-Rated Health Wellness & Quality of Life: A Preliminary Study. Vol 3(2):1-9.
1. Matthews CE, George SM, Moore SC, Bowles HR, Blair A, et al. (2012) Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors and cause-specific mortality in US adults. Am J Clin Nutr 95: 437–445. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.019620
2. http://www.juststand.org/tabid/816/language/en-US/default.aspx
3 .Aerobic exercise is promoted when individual performance affects the group: a test of the Kohler motivation gain effect. Irwin, B.C., Scorniaenchi, J., Kerr, N.L. et al. Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 2012;44(2):151-9.
4. Masarsky, C.S. and M. Todres-Masarsky. “Effect of a Single Chiropractic Adjustment on Divergent Thinking and Creative Output: A Pilot Study, Part I.” Chiropractic Journal of Australia, 2010.
5. Mark J. Marino and Phillippa M. Langrell. A Longitudinal Assessment of Chiropractic Care using a Survey of Self-Rated Health Wellness & Quality of Life: A Preliminary Study. Vol 3(2):1-9.
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