Have you begun to notice that your legs are becoming swollen and your back hurts more and more often when you work sedentarily? There’s also something wrong with the shoulders, especially the right one – after all, that hand holds a computer mouse all day long. There are simple tricks that can help you counteract your sedentary lifestyle and maintain your health even during office work.
Did you know that in a sitting position the load on the spine is twice as much as in a standing position? That is why a working day at a desk or 5 classes at the university is much more tiring than a walk in the forest or park. And a sedentary lifestyle, which begins in the first grade and does not end until retirement, over time provokes pain and heaviness in the lower back and legs, stagnation of blood in the pelvis, swelling of the legs, varicose veins, overstrain of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and neck, poor posture and etc.
Of course, there is a good option - go to a warm country, to the sea, play sports and not sit in an office. This is great, but not everyone can take advantage of this opportunity. And we must learn to “survive” and take care of ourselves in the conditions in which we live. Remember these rules, follow them - and you will feel better!
Workplace: office chair, table, monitor
Tell me where you stand and I will tell you what problems await you. The first thing you must provide and arrange for yourself in the workplace is the “place” itself, that very office chair. What should it be like?
- The seat of the chair should have a slight tilt forward (about 4 degrees), so that the person is forced to rest his feet on the floor and create some tension on them.
- Ideally, your feet should be on an inclined support rather than on a flat floor. This is the most optimal sitting position that is easy for a person to maintain.
- The correct table height is one at which a person does not have to lift his shoulders or bend over to put his elbows on the table.
- The top edge of the monitor should be at eye level, and there should be a gel pad under the wrist to relieve the wrist joint. The hand that works with the mouse must lie completely on the table, otherwise its weight will fall on the shoulder girdle and cervical spine.
- It is very important that your back has good support, for example, in the form of a soft pillow between the lower back and the back of the chair. While sitting at the table, the lumbar arch should be maintained. It also helps relieve excessive stress on the ligaments, joints and muscles of the lumbar spine.
Watch the position of your legs and forget about the “siu” pose. This is not only unsightly, but also harmful!
Personal hygiene during office work
Believe me, to maintain health in the office, it is important to pay attention not only to the lack of movement, but also to carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene, and this is precisely what we lose sight of. Follow a few simple rules, and all diseases and viruses will bypass you.
The first thing is cleanliness of the workplace.
It is not your office cleaner who should take care of it, because she will never do the cleaning as thoroughly as you do for yourself. Make sure there is no dust on the table and under the table, do not accumulate a lot of papers, small items and other “dust collectors”. Dust is not only germs and viruses, but also a provocateur of asthma and allergic reactions.
Second - ventilation of the room
This is a very controversial issue, since some of your employees may complain that the office is very cold, while others may complain that, on the contrary, it is hot. Solution: arrive 5 minutes early and thoroughly ventilate the office, removing all dust and stagnant air from it. This should also be done before turning on the air conditioner, as it dries the air very much.
Third - disinfectants
Do you know where the most germs accumulate? That's right, on a mouse and keyboard. Clean them in a timely manner using wet wipes, and do not forget to also wipe your computer monitor, as it accumulates dust. And, of course, keep a hand sanitizer in your desk drawer - in the form of a spray or gel, and don’t forget to apply it to your hands from time to time.
How to relieve eye fatigue
No matter how modern and safe monitors are, our eyes get tired from continuous concentrated work and visual stress. Even a student or student who spends a long time reading a textbook or doing written assignments will feel that his eyes are tired. Therefore, eye exercises are the best friend of both those who study and people who work at the computer.
- Every 20 minutes, look to the side, into the distance, out the window, so that your eyes rest.
- Close your eyes tightly and open your eyes. Repeat this simple exercise several times to improve blood circulation and moisturize the cornea with tear fluid.
- Rub your palms vigorously to warm them up. Fold them into a boat and cover your eyes with them. The eyes themselves can be either closed or open, but light should not penetrate the palms. Now move your eyes from right to left and back, from bottom to top and back, along two diagonals to the limit, in a circle counterclockwise and clockwise. And at the end, draw a square with your eyes, first clockwise, then in the opposite direction. All movements are performed with maximum amplitude. You will feel soreness in the first few days - this is normal. Then it will pass.
Perform 4 sets of these exercises several times throughout the day.
How to preserve your eyesight when working on a computer
The eyes are one of our most important sense organs - they give us about 80% of our understanding of the world around us. And if your sedentary work is directly related to the computer, you should, first of all, take care of your vision. It can very quickly worsen due to a number of different reasons, namely: prolonged focusing on close objects, looking at a luminous object (monitor) and small symbols, infrequent blinking, deterioration of blood circulation due to constant sitting, including blood circulation of the face and eyes .
How can we save our eyes? We will proceed from the reasons that lead to visual impairment. So, focusing on nearby objects requires our distraction to objects that are more distant. This means that from time to time you should look away from the monitor, but not at nearby papers or at your mobile phone, but look into the distance, ideally out the window. Every 10 minutes, take a break from contemplating the monitor for at least a minute, and every hour you should get up and take a few steps around the table. Don't forget to blink more often - this will help avoid dry eyes and discomfort.
Two shoulders - two straps: how to wear a backpack correctly
This rule applies primarily to students and schoolchildren. But if you carry a backpack to work, this applies to you too!
- Wear the backpack only on two shoulders! Moreover, choose models with wide straps - this is important for evenly distributing the load on both sides of your body, which is essential for maintaining correct posture.
- No less important is the presence of a padded back, which holds the shape of the backpack and supports the person’s back. This nuance must be taken into account when choosing a backpack for a child. And since school backpacks are also heavy, you should be more picky and attentive when choosing the optimal model.
Combining sedentary work and exercise
Of course, there will always be reasons that prevent you from combining work and sports. For example, a long drive to work, which seems to take more energy than the work itself. And if you stand in traffic jams for a long time, this also threatens nervous tension. In second place are stress and physical and/or mental labor at work; it is undoubtedly tiring. Irregularity of training due to frequent business trips, etc.
As a result, complete disappointment and reluctance to engage in any physical labor sets in. I want to come home, sit on a soft sofa, turn on the TV and spend another week or two like that. You know, it’s not so bad if you were mentally or physically overworked. The main thing is that you have the strength to get up and continue on the path to a healthy lifestyle.
With such a vacation, it is important not to worsen your condition, to feed on the positive, to make plans, as they say, not to go “on a binge.” You understand that excessive use of lying on the sofa will lead you to metabolic failure, obesity and other troubles. And since your work is sedentary, chronic diseases cannot be avoided.
Training plan
So, the plan for the training process is as follows. On weekends, try to go to the gym or group classes. Believe me, cardio training will give you more mood and energy than sitting at home. On Wednesdays, before or after work, attend water treatments, there you can relieve any tension and prepare your body for the next day. Gradually increase the number of activities that are comfortable for you (swimming pool or yoga, gym or punching bag, it all depends on you).
Movement is life (write this in the most visible place). Run in the mornings or evenings. Don't let laziness into your life. She is “friends” with diseases of the circulatory system and rapidly advancing old age. After all, scientists have already proven that people who lead a sedentary lifestyle age 5 to 10 years earlier.
How to relieve body tension: Herringbone exercise
An excellent exercise that helps stretch the entire body and relieve tension. Remember and do it daily! I recommend this exercise in almost all of my marathons, courses, and simply as a final exercise after performing various physical activities. A working day is also a load, after which our body requires compensation in the form of walking, light jogging, swimming and doing the Herringbone exercise.
- While standing, raise your arms up and cup them palm to palm, as if you were a swimmer.
- Slowly rise onto your toes and stretch upward as much as possible.
- Now lower your heels towards the floor, and keep the tension of your hands up, as if you were suspended on an invisible hook.
- Return to the starting position by slowly lowering your arms down to your sides.
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Sedentary work. What to do?
It is important that the seat is comfortable for you. Take a break every hour, change your position, relax, stretch your joints. Try to include a 5-10 minute walk. Watch your vision; your eyes should not be strained.
Do the exercises
If you spend most of your life sitting and do not pay attention to physical exercise, then try the following exercises:
- Bend and straighten your legs at the knee joint, without lowering your legs to the floor, 20 to 30 times.
- Stretch your neck, stretch the back of your head towards the ceiling. At the same time, straighten your back.
- Bend to the sides alternately 15 to 15 times.
- Raise your arms up through your sides as if you were stretching 5 to 10 times.
- Draw in your stomach, holding for 10–15 seconds (exercise on an empty stomach).
- Squat down several times.
Move more
If you use public transport, get off at the stop before your destination. If you have a car, park it away from home and work. Choose walking. Skip the elevator. Do exercises in the morning. On weekends, and for those who are prepared in the evenings, go to yoga and Pilates classes. Sign up for the pool. Devote 1 hour to training 3 times a week. Do cardio more often, make it a habit.
Set up your nutrition
Improve your diet to improve your health and quality of life. Take vitamins and fish oil. If you don’t have time to eat on time, you can buy breakfast cocktails in sports stores; they are complete nutrition. At work, give up standard snacks like sweets or cookies, give preference to healthy foods, take fruits, pre-prepared food with you, protein bars or protein-based desserts are suitable as a snack.
Improve your sleep
Take time to organize your sleep. Choose a moderately hard bed. The pillow should not be high. Don't overwork yourself. Sleep at least 8 – 10 hours.
Exercise "frog"
This exercise not only allows you to relax, but also perfectly strengthens the back muscles, helps fight extra centimeters on the waist and is an excellent prevention of varicose veins. You just need to lie on your stomach, stretch your arms back, take a deep breath and, as you exhale, bend your knees. Try to get your heels to touch your pelvis. With your right hand, grab your right leg, and with your left, grab your left leg. Fix in this position for two deep breaths and exhalations. At the same time, breathe with your stomach, not your chest.
