Today, if you are like most men and women living and working
in a tecno-service economy, you probably spent most of your time sitting down.
You go from the kitchen table to the car and sit in traffic then to your office
desk and back to your chair in front of your television set. But spending most
of your time sitting down is bad for your health.
Chances is that you have already felt some of the side
effect of sitting in a position for a while, either you feel numbness after you
get up from a position you’ve been in for a prolong time, your hips feel tight
and you have to lean forward if you have to walk, also too much sitting makes
your legs and gluts inactive. Even after you stand up you feel the side effect
of prolong sitting and your movement becomes slowed down! From my own personal
experience, sitting down for a prolong length, makes everything feel tight the
butt area.
Health wise, apart from the fact that prolong sitting can
make you obese, when you spend most of your time sitting, you body burns less
fat and your blood circulate poorly. Slow blood circulation in the legs can
cause various problems such as edema; swallow ankles, varicose and deep vein
thrombosis. Prolong sitting can also make you have muscle fatigue, weak bones,
foggy brain, strain neck, sore neck and shoulder, it can also lead to some
major health issues.
Scientist have found that people who sit longer are prone to
metabolic syndrome, which represent a cluster of condition like high blood
pressure, high blood sugar level, excess fat around the waist and unhealthy
cholesterol levels. It can lead to other conditions like diabetes. Hypertension,
breast cancer/prostate cancer, even depression.
Although it’s hard to completely reverse the damages already
caused by prolong sitting here are some steps and excise you can take to
reverse some of this damages and/or prevent future occurrences and have a
healthier body.
1.
Correct your sitting posture: - it is ideal to lean proper sitting posture
from a younger age but it’s never too late to make improvement, even if you
have been sitting in a poor position regularly for a number of years. If you
have to sit for a longer hours at your job, the most important thing you need
to do is to sit down correctly.
While sitting, keep this tip in mind
Ø
Keep your upper back and neck comfortably
straight
Ø
Keep your shoulders relaxed and elbows bent at
90 degree
Ø
Keep your feet flat on the floor, toes pointed
straighter ahead. Don’t cross your legs
Ø
Keep your chin lifted and your jaws relaxed
Ø
Your shoulders should not be elevated, rounded
or pulled backward
Ø
Do not lean forward to look at your computer or
laptop screen even while reading or writing
Ø
Your eyes should be able to gaze down object
without having to tilt your head.
2. Using
a lumbar support pillow: - many of us have lifestyle and jobs that require us
to spend long and prolong period sitting down. Office chairs are very rarely
supportive of the lower back and many of us fail to take regular and frequent
breaks. As a result the lower back is subjected to stress and strain to the
lower back
A lumbar support
pillow usually helps you manage the back pain and ease some of your symptoms.
A lumbar support pillow
can be used while sitting in the office or even while driving for long ours
These
pillows are readily available in the market and come in several forms. You can
choose one that goes with our well with your height and chair type.
3. Stretching
your body: - if you are tired to a desk
all day long. Chances are the last thing on your mind is office stretching. Not
doing so can lead to a number of problems. Stretching helps you manage the ache
and pain caused by prolong sitting. It also eases neck and shoulder tension and
strain. Regular stretching can improve your range of motion, increase
circulation and calm your mind.
Here are some reasons why you need
to stretch your body joint:-
·
Avoid pains: - not stretching can lead to
tension in the shoulder and upper back, especially if you work on the computer
and remain in the same position all the long. Even your wrist and fingers can
end up tight and painful without proper stretching.
·
Improve blood circulation: - remaining in the
same potion for long period of time can cause extremities to fall asleep. The
tingling sensation you experience when your muscles fall asleep is
uncomfortable and can turn uncomfortable. Stretching improves blood circulation
not only to your extremities but also to your brain.
·
Eases stress: - stretch can help the stress of work.
As you stretch, breathe deep and ease into the stretch as much as possible. Let
your mind wander away from what is around and to a quieter, simpler place.
·
Improves posture: - spend too much time sitting
and you are likely to end up hunching forward over the keyboard. Stretches that
target your upper and lower back as well as your shoulders and chest can help
improve posture and fight the tension in your back
·
Reduce your risk of repetitive injury: - if you spend
long hours typing or doing the same work over and over, you are at the risk for
a stressful injury. Wrist injuries are
the most common but you can also injure your shoulder and elbow if you are not
careful.
4. Take
walking breaks: - the obvious thing you can do is sit less and do more standing
or walking. It’s a well known fact that prolong sitting is not good for your health;
it causes the blood to pool in the legs and affect the endothelial function of
the arteries. Or the ability of the blood vessels to expand from blood flow
An easy way to
prevent damage to the arteries from sitting all day is to take frequent walking
breaks.
While at
work, you can probable ask your boss to give you 5minutes out of every
45minutes for a short walk and for you to stretch your body or you can fit in
one hour walk every single day. You can at least walk to walk or walk has way
to the office. Try using your weekends to do different activities such as
jogging, swimming, or any other exercise that you are more comfortable with.
5. Stability
Ball: - normal office chairs are notorious for negative impact on our posture,
especially if you are sitting on them improperly. Slouching in your chair may
also lead to a decrease in your core strength. Remedy? It might be a good idea
to use a stability ball in place of an office chair. This is because you spend your
time actively balancing on a stability ball, so your body automatically forms a
more correct posture. This can alleviate any back or core strain that you may
have previously experienced sitting down in a chair.
But if you
can’t replace your office chair with a stability ball, you can use it while
taking a break from your office job, watching T.V, meditating, or performing
simple workout.
While using
a stability ball, sit up straight and keep your feet flat on the floor in front
of you. This will provide support and balance.
Here are
some benefits of a stability Ball:-
§
Force proper spine alignment
§
Improve your posture
§
Burn extra calories
§
Relive back pain
§
Improves your blood circulation
§
Tone core muscles
§
Causes you to frequently change positions to
maintain balance.
Resources:
http://www.cheatsheet.com/health-fitness/sitting-damage-reverse.html/?a=viewall
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