Tag Archives: career

Can standing instead of sitting at work help your health?

Sitting is the new smoking.

Sitting all day in front of a computer can negatively effect your health. We sit much more than we have ever done. Sitting can effect your spine by placing pressure on the muscle, tendons, and disc. I see many patients who have pain from sitting in a bad position ( poor posture) all day.

Another way sitting effects our health is through muscle activity. When we sit our muscles turn off because the body is at rest. This leads to reduced muscle metabolism. This effects lipid (fats) and glucose metabolism and blood flow. Muscle required glucose and lipids to work.

Human physiology is not well adapted to prolonged periods of inactivity, with time spent sitting increasing cardiovascular disease and mortality risk. Health risks from sitting are generally linked with reduced levels of muscle contractions.

Standing some part of the day will help improve our health. When you stand it requires some muscle activation(contraction). Higher levels of muscle activation can improve your health.

In short, sitting all day can cause you to have poor posture and increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28378964/ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55b7ffebe4b0568a75e3316b/t/5f29af75c1a0cc18764d8c83/1596567416162/Sitting%2C+Squatting%2C+and+the+Evolutionary+Biology+of+Human+Inactivity.pdf https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30409414/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30929574/

WORKSTATION ERGONOMICS suggestions

WORKSTATION ERGONOMICS

Monitors should be visible without leaning or straining, and the top line of type should be 15 degrees below eye level.

Use audio equipment that keeps you from bending your neck (i.e., Bluetooth, speakerphones, headsets).

Keep your shoulders relaxed and elbows bent to 90 degrees.

Wrists should not be bent while at the keyboard. Forearms and wrists should not be leaning on a hard edge.

Keep frequently used objects, like your telephone, close to your body to prevent excessive reaching.

Take a 10-second break every 20 minutes: Micro activities include: walking, stretching, or moving your head in a “plus sign” fashion.

Do a micro break.

Another video about the desk set and suggestion on how a workstation should.

Have a question about your workstation? Dr. Steve can help with that! Contact our office so you can make sure you’re workstation isn’t contributing to pain.