Whether you’re driving, working, commuting, or watching TV, sitting for too long without regular and sufficient breaks can become a health hazard. Sitting for long periods of time can lead to problems such as weight gain, heart disease, back pain, and even early death. Since more and more people began working from home, the sedentary lifestyle has become the norm and many are opting to utilise standing desks to combat this problem.
THE ISSUES WITH PROLONGED SITTING.
Sitting hunched over a desk for hours on end can lead to many different issues in regards to posture, health and productivity. For example, you might find an increase in muscle tension in the neck and headaches as a result of prolonged sitting. Being sedentary for multiple hours of the day can result in a higher risk of weight gain as you take in more calories than you are burning throughout day. There is also a higher chance of low back pain due to hunching over a keyboard or having an inadequate desk/chair height.
WHAT IS A SIT/STAND DESK?
A sit/stand desk allows the user to alternate their body position between sitting and standing throughout the workday. This is to ensure the user does not have excessive periods of sitting down, as this can increase the occurrence of poor, hunched posture which worsens as time goes on. This style of desks are adjustable to your height so that you can seamlessly transition between a seated or standing position, preventing poor postural habits.
WHY A SIT/STAND DESK IS BENEFICIAL
These desks are beneficial in allowing your body to remain mobile as you work, promote core strength, blood flow and productivity by providing variation to your workday. Most importantly, these desks have reported to improve lower and upper back pain by 32% and reduce neck pain by 54% in just a few weeks. This can also help to decrease the chance of weight gain and heart disease in the long-term.
SETTING UP YOUR DESK - POSTURAL TIPS.
When using these desks it is important to understand how it should be set up in order to provide the most postural benefits. When you are either seated or standing it is important to maintain your eye line at the top of the screen so your neck is not strained as you work from home. Make sure your arms are at a 90 degree angle over the keyboard to maintain a neutral spine alignment. If the desk is too high or too low, you might notice your posture will be compromised. It is easy to forget to focus on your posture so having the appropriate set up can take care of that for you with minimal mental effort as you work from home.
DESK STRETCHES TO EASE ACHES AND PAINS.
Sitting for an extended time can promote joint immobility and muscle tension, so to combat this try these few stretches before, after or during your work day:
Shoulders rolls - Roll backwards and forwards to ease tension in the shoulders.
Seated back extensions - Keep the feet flat on the ground, cross your arms and grab your shoulders. Keep the core tight to refrain from overextending.
Seated spinal rotations - Grab your shoulders and gently rotate from the waist. Only rotate until you feel the stretch/as far as you can comfortably rotate.
Neck rotations - Keep your head upright and gently rotate from left to right. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds.
Overhead shoulder extensions - Link your hands and hold you arms above your head with the palms facing up. Reach as high as possible to feel the stretch through your shoulders.
Doorway stretch - Find a doorway and hold onto the door frame just above head height. Use the doorframe to stretch out your chest and shoulders.
If you find yourself feeling the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time, book in to see one of our chiropractors at The Myeline Clinic for a full body assessment, adjustment and stretching tips.