Sitting is an epidemic. It is literally a disease which causes a whole host of health issues such as repetitive stress injuries, metabolic issues such as low energy, fatigue, and poor sleep patterns. It also increases your chances of heart disease and type two diabetes.
So, how do we combat the ill effects of prolonged sitting? Follow these 3 tips:
- Check and change your ergonomic set up. For example, are your feet flat on the ground with no pressure on the back of the legs when you are sitting? Do you have a low back support built into your chair? Are your shoulders firmly against the back of your chair? Is your monitor 20 to 30 inches away from your eyes with a screen that is tilted 10 to 20 degrees up? Lastly, are your elbows at 90 degrees with no bend in your wrist at the keyboard? If your work station is not set up properly there is a strong likelihood that are at greater risk for a repetitive stress injury. So, I would recommend that you start by reviewing your ergonomic set up.
- Take postural breaks. These are critically important. Try to stand for 15 minutes an hour. For the last five minutes do some actual postural exercises such as chin tucks, wall angels, and Bruggers. These are all going to activate your posture muscles and you’ll find all those on YouTube.
- Try to walk for 40 minutes continuously every lunch time. So, that’s not walk to the water cooler, have a chat with your friends and then walk back to your desk. Continuously walk. If you do this 3-5 a week, you can actually decrease your chances of heart disease and type two diabetes by up to about 40%.
