Maybe you love your job, but hate sitting at a desk all day. Or, maybe you hate your job, but sitting at a desk all day pays your bills so you have to do it.
Either way, sitting at your desk all day could be causing a lot of problems to your body. Chiropractic Economics found that 40% of 20 year olds currently have degeneration of the spine which can be caused by things like sitting at a desk all day and spending too much time on your phone.
Find out what you can do to protect your back and take care of your spine.
Get Up and Move Around
The easiest way to prevent back pain is the hardest for most people. Get up at least every 30 minutes and move around. It doesn't matter if you are walking to get water, asking a colleague a question, or just staring out the window. Standing up for at least a minute can give you time to move your back around.
If you want to try some stretches, there are multiple ways to exercise at your desk without disrupting your coworkers.
Adjust Your Chair and Monitor
Sitting itself isn’t necessarily the cause of your back pain. The real problem could be how you sit and how your computer is positioned. Make sure your keyboard and monitor are directly in front of you and the top of your monitor is at eye-level. This will prevent you from angling your body unnaturally or hunching over.
You should adjust your chair so your back is resting against it, not hunched over your keyboard. You want to avoid the dreaded desk slouch that is the root cause of many back problems.
RELATED CONTENT: How to Use Spinal Hygiene to Prevent (and Heal) Lower Back Pain
Stand As Well As You Sit
When you do stand up and move around, don’t continue to punish your back. Stand up straight with your shoulders back and your knees slightly bent. Try to avoid staring down at your phone for long periods of time, which causes your spine to curve.
If you are going to cause damage to your body when you sit, make up for it when you stand.
Practice Spinal Hygiene
Spinal hygiene includes performing regular exercises, stretching, and relaxation techniques for day-to-day spinal care. It also includes periodically visiting a chiropractor so they can give you adjustments and guidance on how to best care for your back to both resolve and prevent problems.
After a long day at your desk, you may be tempted for a long night on the couch, especially if you feel sore and tired. However, your body needs to move now more than ever. So engage in some spinal stretches and exercises.
Try Yoga
Yoga isn’t just for improving balance and contorting yourself into strange positions. You can use it to stretch your muscles and help you relax after a long day. The good news is that you don’t have to go to a fancy yoga studio to see if this activity is right for you.
The Tampa Downtown Partnership offers free yoga in the park at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. You can spend some time enjoying our beautiful outdoors while investing in good back health.
Get More Health and Wellness Tips
You don’t have to follow all of these steps to minimize back pain at your desk, but try a few and see what works for you! For more health and wellness tips, follow Florida Wellness Medical Group on 813area where they regularly share simple ways to improve your health and wellness!
