Sitting at your computer is causing you problems

What’s the problem?

Many people are confined to sitting at a desk in front of a computer for the job or for their own entertainment. However, our bodies are not designed for sitting at a computer desk all day. This can cause issues because of how our bodies react.

Sitting has been linked to these problems

• Low energy
• Metabolism slowing
• Bad posture
• Back pain and/or injury
• Limited social interaction
• Chronic pain
• Obesity
• Risk of diabetes and heart disease
• Depression
• Organ damage

Want to read more about the problems sitting causes? Check out articles by the Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health, and The Washington Post.

What to do about it?

Since sitting at a computer is part of most careers and jobs, we cannot simply eliminate the cause of the problem. There are some things that we can do:

•           Stretching
•           Standing Desks

How does stretching help?

Stretching can help in that it works to undo the compression caused by sitting. These stretches are meant to target the hips and lower back to alleviate pain and pressure. Stretching to undo the damage of sitting can be done almost anywhere, and a few of the common stretches can even use your current desk. Many yoga poses would also help to alleviate the problems caused by sitting.

What are standing desks?

Standing desks are at a level so that you can stand comfortably while writing or working on a

computer. They may look awkward, but they allow you to stand while doing daily work. There are also variations of a standing desk that allow you to move between standing and sitting rather easily.

Thanks for reading,

Amanda