Healthy Desk Habits

19 Jan Healthy Desk Habits

Sitting at a desk all day can take a tremendous toll on your physical health; and contributes to fatigue, headaches, muscle pain and joint pain. Thankfully, here at OsteoVision, we have come up with several tips and tricks to help alleviate discomfort from your desk job.

1. Good posture

One of the biggest reasons people have neck, shoulder and back pain, and spinal alignment issues, is poor posture. Sitting well, with a properly adjusted monitor, will make all the difference to your posture. Make sure your screen is at a level where you are not constantly looking down at it; most monitors are height adjustable. Alternatively, you could try elevating it with a lap top stand or use old books positioned under the monitor. Adjust your chair, so you sit comfortably with your lower back supported. Ensure that your chair’s height allows your feet to be flat on the floor. If this is not possible, use a foot rest. Avoid crossing your legs, as this can cause circulation issues, and put a strain on your lower back.

2. Take break

It is highly recommended to take a break from your desk every hour for a few minutes and get your blood flowing. Stand up and move around your working area, or walk to get a drink of water to stay hydrated. Just make sure you are not sitting. Take advantage of lunch breaks; instead of sitting down and having lunch, go for a short walk. This will benefit your body and health significantly.

3. Stretch and exercise at your desk

The following exercises and stretches were designed to do at your desk to help alleviate any discomfort or pain:

• Posterior Shoulder Stretch: Hold one arm across your body and pull your elbow into your chest. Your shoulder will be gently pulled and stretched.
• Seated Spinal Rotation: Cross your arms over your chest, grab your shoulder and rotate your upper body from the waist, gently turning side to side as far as you can. There should be slight tension on both sides of your lower back as it stretches out.
• Sitting Back Extensions: Sit with your feet together, put the palms of your hands into the small of your neck and lean back over your hands. You should feel your lower back being stretched out. Should this read the palms of the hands into the small of your neck or back??
• Shoulder Shrugs: Lift your shoulders and then slowly let them fall; this will help ease tension in your shoulders.
• Upper Shoulder and Neck Stretch: Sit on one hand and tilt your head away from the hand you are sitting on. Lean your head towards your shoulder. Repeat on the other side. The muscles in your neck and shoulder should feel a slight stretch.
• Shoulder Extension: Stand up and stretch your arms behind you while clasping your hands together and gently lifting your arms. In addition to this, you can hold both arms above your head, link your hands with your palms facing outwards, and then reach as high as possible. Both of these stretches should ease the tension in your shoulders.
• Neck Rotations: Keep your head upright and gently turn your head from side to side. Try moving your head past your shoulder to feel the muscles on the opposite side of your neck getting a great stretch.

Our team at OsteoVision is highly trained in treating patients with all sorts of problems. If you find yourself suffering from extreme muscle and joint pain, contact us to discuss your symptoms, and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.

Call:     03303  904 300
Email:  info@osteovision.life
You can also book an appointment online at www.osteovision.life