If you have an office job where you sit hunched over a desk, clicking away at a computer most of the day, you need to take steps – literally – to reduce your sedentary habits. Our bodies are built to move, so sitting for hours at a time is bad news for your health (hello dead butt syndrome!).
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“Some research suggests that people who sit excessively have increased risk for obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” says occupational therapist Michael Milicia. “Even if you’re actively working, usually your lower body is relatively static, and there is decreased circulation. Also, less movement throughout your day means more aches and pains.”
Studies show that standing and moving more throughout the day will positively impact your health. Exercise and activity level (or movement in general) is one of the most dramatically modifiable risk factors that individuals can change.
While you probably can’t completely get away from sitting at your desk (or at least sitting for some parts of your workday), there are things you can do to be an “active sitter.”
Here are a few recommendations:
Prolonged staring at a computer screen does more damage than good, aka it can cause computer vision syndrome. Things like changing your viewing angle, practicing the 20-20-20 rule and remembering to blink often, can help.
Office workers typically conform to whatever configuration their desks and work stations are set at when they get them, but things don’t have to stay that way. It’s easy to set up an ergonomic office so that your work station doesn’t cause you pain or a loss in productivity.
Here is Milicia’s advice on switching up your work area:
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