More and more, I am reading articles about the negative health effects from sitting. As time goes on, I am starting to feel it. I spend many hours a week sitting behind a desk. My posture and legs have been impacted, plus I had a tennis elbow that took time to heal and healing time was lengthened because it was the right arm that was always using the mouse. Years ago ergonomics was a huge thing, I have not heard or read an article about it recently. Ergonomics is- It is still not enough, especially for those that sit behind a desk. With computers, our movements have diminished even more. No longer are people getting up from their desk and walking to the fax machine or to the copier. Many people do not leave their seat for hours on end and this is a health risk. People were not made to sit immobile for hours, our bodies need to move. Recently we have new desks that have people stand. Standing is good but still not enough, we need to move throughout the work day. How remedy this, I do not know but it is something people need to recognize and figure out what they can do to incorporate movement in their work day. I realize that many of the monkeys here have jobs that require walking or physical activity but some find themselves required to sit behind a desk. This is a great article that write about Always be moving: A morning run or evening Spin class may feel great, but if the rest of your day involves sitting on your ass, a brief burst does little for your overall well-being. Always Be Moving Krav maga sent me the following suggestions of what to do to beat the sitting and keep moving. Please note: you do not have to do the exercises that they suggest but think of what you can do easily without huge disruption to your work time. Lunges can easily be done while talking on the phone, it works. No matter what you do, just keep moving.
About three years ago my boss's son ended up with a DVT. The kid was only 19! Think he was an xbox addict. Anyway, part of the clot broke loose and lodged in his lung. Fortunately it killed only a small portion of his lung tissue. Shortly after that he had difficulty breathing. The surgeon inserted a chest tube and was only able to remove a little bit of blood. "Uh oh", was the surgeon's response. They had to reopen the kid's chest cavity to find that it was full of blood caked up around his lungs. They were able to fix the problem, but the kid still has the original blood clot in his leg. That's the kind of thing that happens to really, really ancient old people (such as myself), not 19 year olds. And it's basically due to long hours of physical inactivity.
That is scary that it is happening to children. I know I am always shifting my legs and I have started standing at my desk but since it is a normal height desk, I stand there bending over. I am going to talk to the boss about a standing desk. I tried the ball to sit on but it is not enough.
Couldn't find it on a quick look, but melbo bought a standing desk a couple years ago and posted it on the site. I'll try to find it later if you don't, but I need to be at the range shortly for a shoot.
Good thoughts ,I know that I always feel better accomplishing something rather then sitting . I know it's an excuse but when it's hot it's really hard to get motivated . I'm thankful for the cooler weather now an feel like getting some work done ,the first few dys getting started are tough of course but it's getting better. Lost 10 lbs so far.
I found a few things that helped after doing 12 hour watch shifts in the command center on alert! Get up often and move about, get a chair that has some vertical "bounce" to it, take a bathroom break every hour and get a drink of water while your up. I had several others with me that would get crazy leg after a few hours, and this helped out! Stretching often is a must for any deck work, and your body will thank you!
Check this article on the imprtance of exercise Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity - Mayo Clinic
Every hour get up and walk for five minutes. That is a must. I have started to empty the garbage cans at work. I will grab one can and walk to the dumpster, back and forth. It is not efficient but it looks semi-productive. Also, last week while I was on the phone, I would stand and do things like sand on my toes, up/down or walk in place. Anything to get the blood moving. You cannot do a lot of the stuff that I posted in the opening post but get creative.
