How many hours do you sit behind a desk each day?  One of the few things that most employees — from entry level staff to C-suite execs — have in common is that they spend a lot of their work day behind a desk… sitting in a chair, probably in front of a computer, either typing, calculating numbers, researching, reading, filing, talking or pushing paper.  Compared to the back-breaking conditions of manual labor jobs such as plowing fields or digging ditches, earning a living by sitting in an air-conditioned room in a comfy chair at a sleek desk is certainly a major improvement.  Or is it?  Although no one would argue that tough manual labor in the hot sun or frozen tundra is physically daunting and exhausting – especially in the middle of a scorching summer or brutal winter – there are also some drawbacks to working behind a desk all day, day after day.

Just ask anyone who sits behind a computer, calculator or switchboard all day.  Sitting at a desk all day can cause aches and pains of a different, but nonetheless hurtful, nature.   People who sit at a desk all day can experience back aches, neck pain, carpel tunnel syndrome, headaches, eye strain, stiff shoulders and reduced flexibility.  Using one’s brain while keeping the body motionless for prolonged periods of time can also contribute to weight gain, higher cholesterol and other issues related to lack of exercise.

In today’s high tech world, even the activities that could provide some relief from long hours at a desk are disappearing.  Less and less do employees need to bend over to file records in a filing cabinet, or run to a meeting with a client, walk to the file room to locate records or stroll down the street to take the mail to a mailbox or post office.  More and more, records are digital, meetings with clients are on the phone, via email or on conferencing systems, and mail is either electronic or, when very important, sent by overnight courier who picks up at your location.  While most people can ill afford to give up their desk jobs to work as an aerobics instructor, personal trainer, or bicycle messenger, there are some things that can be done to reduce the impact of sitting still all day and eliminate the desk-ache blues.

1.  Awareness

Be aware of your body’s signals that you are uncomfortable.  Don’t ignore discomfort.  If you begin to feel a mild ache or minor numbness while sitting at a desk, act on it right away.  Identify what is causing the discomfort and mend the problem.  Change your position.  Adjust your seat.  Move your keyboard.  Minor soreness or aches that surface today may seem insignificant but can eventually develop into chronic pain if the body’s warning signals are not acknowledged.

2.  Movement

Extended stillness is the enemy.  It is not good to sit in the same position for hours on end.  Periodically, get up and move around to increase blood circulation and prevent muscle fatigue. Just the act of standing, stretching and taking a quick walk to the water cooler or coffee maker keeps muscles active and increases circulation.  If concentration or focus on a project makes the hours fly by unnoticed, set a timer on your phone to remind you to stretch every hour or so.

3.  Hydrate

Drink a lot of water.  First, hydration is good for the body.  Second, it will require more frequent trips to the restroom… a signal from the body that cannot be ignored.

4.  Body Alignment

Consider your body’s alignment and resting posture within your work space.  When sitting, keep joints in a neutral position as you work.  Here is the ideal desk-sitting position.  Sit upright.  Don’t slouch forward.  Wrists should be neutral (not arched or bent) and elbows should be close to the body, not up high or out to the sides. Rest forearms on the surface of your desk as you type.  Your head should rest squarely on your shoulders as you work, not tilted down or up. If you are looking down at papers, buy an upright stand to hold documents as you read.  Raise or lower your chair to find the most comfortable position.

If your wrist is at an odd angle as you type or move your computer mouse, you could develop chronic pain which can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  If left untreated, severe symptoms can even require surgery.  However, studies have shown that two out of three people with mild to moderate carpal tunnel symptoms were able to avoid surgery by employing certain exercises.  These exercises are more successful (twice the success rate of other nonsurgical treatments) in people with mild symptoms that are addressed early.  You may also want to ask your employer to buy for you hand or wrist support for your keyboard and mouse pad.  If they aren’t willing to spring for it, invest in it for yourself.

5.  Ergonomics

Keep your work space ergonomically correct.  If a computer terminal placed below your desk interferes with the ability to sit directly in alignment with the desk, have IT move the box elsewhere.  It does not belong where your legs and feet should be.  If your feet don’t sit flat on the floor, place a foot rest under your desk.  If the flooring under your feet is tile, hard wood or concrete, consider placing a mat or pad under your feet as a cushion.

Is your chair comfortable?  Your elbows should rest on your chair’s armrests.  Adjust them so the weight of your arms is supported by the armrests, not by your shoulders.  Use a good adjustable chair that allows for the natural hollow in your lower back.  Chairs with wobbly backs, that sit too low, or have insufficient padding or support will cause back pain over time.   Also adjust the position of your chair so that the distance from the keyboard to your body ensures you are not straining to reach it. Given the cost of health care to companies and employees alike as well as the loss of productivity due to sick leave, the cost of a new chair is far less over time than the cost of a chiropractor.

Position your monitor and keyboard in front of you, not to the side.  Your computer monitor should be at a level where your head is not tilted down or up.  If your monitor is sitting too low, there are small stands that can elevate the monitor a few inches.  The top of your monitor should be about or just above eye level.  You may also need to mount an adjustable keyboard tray under the desktop so that your hands are even or slightly lower than your elbows when typing on the keyboard or using the mouse.

6.  Stretch and Move

Here are seven easy stretches you can do at your desk.

• Shrug your shoulders to release neck and shoulder tension.  Inhale deeply and shrug your shoulders, lifting them high up to your ears. Hold. Release and drop. Repeat three times.

• Shake your head slowly, yes and no.  Make sure no one is asking you important questions while you do this one or they may interpret your head nod as an answer.

• Do air circles to loosen your hands.  Clench both fists, stretching both hands out in front of you.  Make circles in the air, first in one direction, to the count of ten.  Then reverse the circles.  Shake out the hands.

• Finger-point.  This may not be a good idea when it comes to taking responsibility for work blunders, but it is great as a stretching exercise for your hands, wrist, and forearms. Stretch your left hand out in front of you, pointing fingers toward the floor. Use your right hand to increase the stretch, pushing your fingers down and toward the body.  Do this gently.  Do the same with the other hand.  Now stretch your left hand out straight in front, wrist bent, with fingers pointing skyward. Use your right hand to increase the stretch, pulling the fingers back toward your body.  Do the same on the other side.

• Stand up and sit down without using your hands.  This increases blood flow and stretches core muscles.  Do it while you’re on the phone; no one will know.

• Do sitting calf raises.  While sitting in a chair with your feet on the floor, raise your foot on your tippy-toes, hold that for five seconds, and then release.  Do this ten times.

• Sit on an exercise ball, instead of your chair, while you work.  You engage all the muscles in your back, legs, and derriere to stay balanced.

Need a few more stretches for the back and legs?  Use your lunchtime to take a walk or attend a local yoga class.  Using most of your lunch time to exercise will leave less time to overindulge with food.  If you don’t have time to run to a yoga class or don’t have any nearby, no problem.  Yoga for Wimps by Miriam Austin offers lots of yoga stretches that you can do at your desk.

Use this combination of tips to reduce any aches and pains that result from that excellent – but quite sedentary – desk job that you love.

Quote of the Week

“Happiness lies first of all in health.” George William Curtis

© 2012, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.