Hi Leo!
I have one for you - I would like to know more about the negative effects working at a computer for extended periods of time can have on your body. If there are any exercises you can do while at work to ease the tension you can get, particularly in your shoulders from working the mouse. Also, if there are any suggested office gadgets that can help.
Thanks,
Devon
Working in an office environment can be totally disastrous to your body. Let's identify some of the negatives; first, you are probably sitting in a chair that you would classify as comfortable only for the first 30 minutes of sitting on it. After that , you are shifting around uncomfortably trying to find some relief. One of the places I train clients is a chiropractic center and to the office's credit even the receptionist is practicing good spine health. She sits on a chair that has a core ball as the seating surface.
The good thing about the core ball is that it's so versatile. You can do all kinds of exercises with it and the degrees of difficulty vary from post-rehab to athletic level. You should sit on a core ball when at the computer because it forces you to be in a correct posture, not to mention your core (abs and lower back) are constantly working to keep you on the ball. Let's say that you are really feeling compressed after a long session at the computer. According to Fairfax-based Chiropractor Vishal Verma, when you bounce on the core ball your spine is actually mimicking the same actions it would if you were on a walk. This action elongates and stretches the vertebrae of the spine making your back feel revitalized.
Some other postural problems you can create at the computer are the rounding of the shoulders and forward head. Both of these phenomena throw off the alignment of the body and lead to other problems like back pain and decrease in range of motion. Here, let's illustrate this further. Find any teenager that you know who spends way too much time on facebook or myspace and check out their profile. Does it look something like this?
Here is a pretty good example of what sitting at a computer, watching TV, never stretching or keeping your posture in check can make you look like. Continue this you'll have a hunch-back in no time!
Okay, as far as things you can do at the office to counteract these negative outcomes let's begin with the chest. Rounded shoulders become permanent when the chest is tight and the back is weak. Make it a daily office habit to stretch your pectoralis major and minor against a wall.
Stretch your
arm out from the body making a straight line from your shoulder to your wrist. Then bend your arm 90 degrees from the elbow so that your fingertips are pointing at the ceiling. With your arm in this position, place your forearm against the wall and turn your body away from the wall. You should feel this stretch on the muscles starting in the front of your shoulder down into you chest.
Now it's time to strengthen your back as this will pull your shoulders into proper alignment. To accomplish this you will do a row. For this exercise you will need a resistance band (you can buy this fairly inexpensively piece of equipment from any sporting goods store, and boy is it versatile!) Sit on the ground with your legs locked and in front of you. Loop the band around the bottom of your feet and grab the handles of the band. Keeping your back straight and your shoulders relaxed, pull the handles back until your elbows travel a little beyond your back. You should try to squeeze your shoulder blades together as you come into the full contracted position. This will ensure full-range of motion (important!)
The picture to the right illustrates the end of the movement.
These are just a couple of ideas to relieve the stress you put on your body everyday. On top of these exercises you should be doing a daily stretch routine to help make your life a little more enjoyable in the years to come.
- L. Napper
Working in an office environment can be totally disastrous to your body. Let's identify some of the negatives; first, you are probably sitting in a chair that you would classify as comfortable only for the first 30 minutes of sitting on it. After that , you are shifting around uncomfortably trying to find some relief. One of the places I train clients is a chiropractic center and to the office's credit even the receptionist is practicing good spine health. She sits on a chair that has a core ball as the seating surface.
The good thing about the core ball is that it's so versatile. You can do all kinds of exercises with it and the degrees of difficulty vary from post-rehab to athletic level. You should sit on a core ball when at the computer because it forces you to be in a correct posture, not to mention your core (abs and lower back) are constantly working to keep you on the ball. Let's say that you are really feeling compressed after a long session at the computer. According to Fairfax-based Chiropractor Vishal Verma, when you bounce on the core ball your spine is actually mimicking the same actions it would if you were on a walk. This action elongates and stretches the vertebrae of the spine making your back feel revitalized.
Some other postural problems you can create at the computer are the rounding of the shoulders and forward head. Both of these phenomena throw off the alignment of the body and lead to other problems like back pain and decrease in range of motion. Here, let's illustrate this further. Find any teenager that you know who spends way too much time on facebook or myspace and check out their profile. Does it look something like this?
Here is a pretty good example of what sitting at a computer, watching TV, never stretching or keeping your posture in check can make you look like. Continue this you'll have a hunch-back in no time!
Okay, as far as things you can do at the office to counteract these negative outcomes let's begin with the chest. Rounded shoulders become permanent when the chest is tight and the back is weak. Make it a daily office habit to stretch your pectoralis major and minor against a wall.
Stretch your
arm out from the body making a straight line from your shoulder to your wrist. Then bend your arm 90 degrees from the elbow so that your fingertips are pointing at the ceiling. With your arm in this position, place your forearm against the wall and turn your body away from the wall. You should feel this stretch on the muscles starting in the front of your shoulder down into you chest.Now it's time to strengthen your back as this will pull your shoulders into proper alignment. To accomplish this you will do a row. For this exercise you will need a resistance band (you can buy this fairly inexpensively piece of equipment from any sporting goods store, and boy is it versatile!) Sit on the ground with your legs locked and in front of you. Loop the band around the bottom of your feet and grab the handles of the band. Keeping your back straight and your shoulders relaxed, pull the handles back until your elbows travel a little beyond your back. You should try to squeeze your shoulder blades together as you come into the full contracted position. This will ensure full-range of motion (important!)
The picture to the right illustrates the end of the movement.
These are just a couple of ideas to relieve the stress you put on your body everyday. On top of these exercises you should be doing a daily stretch routine to help make your life a little more enjoyable in the years to come.
- L. Napper
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