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In today’s hectic times, many hours are spent at offices. On an average, a person sits more than eight hours a day at work. Many of us do not take required number of frequent eye or leg breaks and eventually develop many body ailments, most common of which are back and neck pain. Lack of proper knowledge and guidance coupled with a careless attitude towards health are the main culprits.
Negative effects of sitting for long hours Not only during office hours but even at home, we tend to spend the rest of our day sitting or lying down; watching TV, eating, surfing the net, commuting/driving (in sit-position and so on. This sitting habit, especially if the posture is incorrect all the time, contributes to a number of medical conditions like back pain, neck pain headache and other conditions. When we work on a computer, we underuse many of our muscles, while other muscles get tense and shorten. Often we develop a so-called muscular imbalance, with a shortening of the breast muscles and a weakness of the upper back and shoulder blade muscles. Things to do If you are sitting at a desk for the large portion of the workday and later at home for other activities, it is essential to give your body a break by standing up and taking a short walk around the room. When you do, you will work different muscles and get your blood moving up. Recharge the body through frequent breaks Frequent breaks are important to maintain good health. Despite having ergonomically-correct furniture and other things, the body still need these breaks. Instead of asking a helper to fetch a file or something, go yourself. If you can talk to someone while standing, do it. Just a few minutes of frequent strolling during office hours are enough to keep you healthy and recharged. So be active. Proper sitting styles When you are sitting, make sure you move around a lot and change positions, it is called ‘dynamic sitting’. This way you start to use different muscles. Tips to maintain correct sitting posture
However, the workplace corrections are often overrated regarding their effect on the symptoms. Many recent studies show that a much more effective way in dealing with the symptoms lies in a proper exercise, both with short active breaks and stretches at the workplace and a good workout in your leisure time.
Exercise as counter-weight against sitting
Back & neck exercise must for office-goers Neck stretching exercises can loosen the stiffness of the muscle and expand the range of motion and in neck. Neck and upper back strengthening exercises can help a person in maintaining proper neck position which may stop recurrent pain caused by long sitting hours. There are a number of exercises to strengthen back muscles but it is advisable to consult a physiotherapist/doctor before starting any exercise, especially when symptoms had been there for a long time. — The writer is
Chairman and MD, AktivOrtho, Orthopaedic Rehabilitation and Prevention
centre, New Delhi
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