For those who work at a desk all day, it’s important to recognize that although it’s not physical labour, there is a physical toll on your body!
Prolonged hours of sitting can cause stress to the body if you’re not sitting correctly, or posture is poor, or if your monitor or keyboard are not in the right place. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as the day goes by.
- Take frequent microbreaks. It is known that even a small 30 second micro-break every 20 minutes is better than waiting to have a 1 minute break after 1 hour. We reset our posture and move joints and muscles to reduce postural strain and get a bit of blood flowing through our bodies.
- Frequent movement. In the microbreak, try to get up and walk around and perform a few dynamic stretches (e.g. kick your knees up, kick legs back, head tilts, slow torso twists, shoulder circles, pull your shoulder blades back, etc.)
- Schedule a walk. Book an appointment for yourself! When possible, try to take the stairs instead of the elevator, or leave the office (or home office) and go for even a short 10 minute walk in the fresh air- or in your office building.
- Sit right. Make sure you have a good supportive chair and that you are sitting all the way back into the chair so that your buttocks are pushed as far back as possible, and that you are sitting upright with the curve still felt in your lower back (if you place your hand in the lower back while standing, you should feel the same curve or alignment while sitting). Make sure that you are pulled in as close to your desk as possible.
- Posture check. Make sure that you are not shifting your head forward. You should have your head positioned above your torso and that your shoulders are not rounded forward.