Ergonomics is the Foundation, Movement is the Key
Our lives now revolve majorly around sitting and around screens. This isn't going to change, especially now that most work, meetings, social gatherings, school, and appointments are virtual. I greatly appreciate the convenience of our virtual world, having information and connection at our fingertips, but there are negative physical impacts from our consistent sitting and screen lifestyles.
Generally, when working at the office or going to in-person classes and appointments, we have many moments throughout the day where we're standing up and pacing around. We walk over to the car to drive to work, we walk across the parking lot to get to the building, we walk down the hall to a coworker's desk, we walk downstairs to the breakroom. All of these movements throughout the day add up to create a cumulative effect of more physical activity which invigorates the body, increases synovial fluid in the joints, activates the muscles, and counters the joint angles of sitting. This addition of movement assists us in feeling more alert and focused while diminishing stiffness, and aches from sitting.
While our lifestyles aren't going to drastically change, there are micro-changes we can add throughout each day to create a healthier environment for our bodies.
Start by making sure your desk, or the area where you spend most of the day, is properly set up to encourage better posture and comfort. The proper work set-up creates a healthy foundation, but you must still remember to take breaks to look away from the screen and move the body. Often we are so focused on how to properly set-up the desk that we forget the most important thing, that the body needs consistent movement throughout the day. Even with the best ergonomic chair available, you will still be in pain if you don't incorporate some movement.
(see previous post for guidelines on ergonomic desk set-up)
When you're sitting, become aware of when you start to fidget. When you begin to fidget a lot it's time to take a break to stand and stretch. When that time comes, many people take a break by grabbing their phones to check messages. This doesn't achieve the goal of taking a break because you're still staring closely at a screen emitting blue light waves that fatigue the eyes, and the posture is still positioned with the head and neck forward and down, the mid-back hunched forward, and low back tucked under. The goal of a productive break is to oppose what you were just spending time doing in order to reset.
How to Take a Break:
Change Positions
Stand up-if you were sitting, or sit down if you were standing
Refocus Eyes
20-20-20 (look 20 feet away from your screens for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes)
Blink (a few slow times taking time to squeeze the eyes closed to rehydrate, since looking at screens emitting blue light causes us to blink less often)
Deskercise (you don’t even have to leave your desk to get some movements!)
Rope Pulls
Lift arms up to the ceiling, Look up to the hands
Reach one arm a bit higher and then the other
Keep reaching hand-over-hand like you're climbing up a rope
Side Bends
Reach the right hand overhead, place the left hand on the seat next to you
Lean over the left side of your chair
Repeat to the other side
Trunk Rotations
Sitting tall grab the left armrest with both hands
Gently pull, rotating the shoulders as far around as possible, look over the back shoulder
Repeat to the other side
Figure-4 Stretch
Place the right ankle over the left knee, allowing the right knee to flare out
Sit upright and slightly lean forward if available, feeling a stretch in the right hip
Repeat to the other side
Backbend
Sit tall, hands behind the head
Lift the chest up to the ceiling, leaning backward from the mid-back (thoracic) keeping the low back still
As health and fitness professionals, we are always recommending everyone stretch and move more, but most people don't know what to actually do. The regions of the body that tend to become the stiffest from sitting are the neck, shoulders, back, and hips so it’s important to focus on those areas. However, everybody is unique, so start to listen to your body, becoming aware of where you feel stiffness, pain, tension, or aches, and incorporate some of the above exercises to target your unique needs.
Movements done consistently throughout the day will take mere minutes of your time but will help to diminish pain and fatigue, allowing the body to feel healthy at the end of the day instead of normally stiff and stagnant.