I spend time at my computer writing articles, letters, emails and checking out different media outlets for interesting information. The problem is this leads to too much sitting. People who have office jobs, work from home and are addicted to internet games probably spend more time sitting than they do standing. While habits such as smoking, drinking too much, obesity, and lack of exercise are known causes of many illnesses and ailments in people, sitting too much is also one of those bad habits that can lead to health problems.
The fact that the person is not moving much adds some problems. Sitting does not burn many calories and those few extra pounds that are added each month eventually leads to a much larger number when the person steps on a scale to weigh themselves. The blood does not circulate and sitting down tends to have the blood pool in the lower leg and feet. It is sometimes labeled as a precursor of varicose veins in the legs. And with all that weight being placed on the butt for hours of the day, one finds that the hips are now wider and the thighs are tight in a pair of jeans. Sitting with the feet on the floor and the knees bent tends to shorten the hamstring muscles in the back of the legs. When the person bends forward to pick something off the floor the person finds it a difficult task to reach the object.
The sitting office job or writing for a living has the hands in front of them and the head leaning forward. This leads to round shoulders and the start of a term called ‘kyphosis’ which means a rounded thoracic area of the spine. For women this can lead to other problems. Most women do not have the neck of a wrestler or football player and with the head weighing around 15 pounds on average the muscles of the neck soon tire. The neck muscle will have a slight spasm and tighten up. This leads to muscle tension in the neck and head and sometime in the afternoon the headache begins. It is especially bad if they have to read copies off to the side of the computer so the head is turned at a slight angle. This problem is easily cured with some neck and upper back exercises to make those muscle strong enough to hold the head for long periods. I have mentioned before that a good indicator of round shoulders is to look at the persons hands when they are standing or walking. If the knuckles of the hand are facing forward it is a good indication that the shoulders are forward or slouched. If the thumb is forward the upper back is upright and not slouched. Strengthening of the upper back and rear deltoid or shoulder muscles will correct that round shoulder problem.
With all the problems associated with sitting too many hours of the day, a good brisk walk or run goes a long way in preventing many of these ailments. The key to correcting the adverse effects of the round shoulders and back is to maintain good posture while you run. Focus on keeping the chest up and not sagging. Check to see if the shoulders are straight and not rotating inward or forward. Keep the neck and head up. On a rough surface it is okay to check your footing so you don’t step on a rock or crack and sprain an ankle. Some runners think that to run faster they need to lean forward from the waist. Watching elite runners in track, one thing you will notice is that all of them are not leaning forward but are upright with the chest and head held high.
While a good brisk walk or run after work is very beneficial, the workout does not have to be done at one time. Getting up every hour and walking around for 10 minutes during the day will be sufficient in most cases. Stretching the muscles of the low and upper back and the legs on a regular interval after a period of sitting can do wonders for posture and tight muscles. The one minor problem with doing some stretching and going for a walk around the office is that in most cases that person is the only one moving. The stares and comments from fellow workers will take getting used to. If the person in charge makes a comment about not getting the work done while you stretch and go for a short walk every hour refer them to the research that shows that studies of workers given an hour off to exercise actually do the same, and in many cases, more work gets done than not exercising. Remember that all that moving helps circulation and the blood vessels feeding the brain benefit as well. Once the habit of movement during periods of long sitting is established good things happen. And work improves too.
