Lynchburg Business

Stretch Your Way to Good Health

Issue: August 2010 by Lynchburg Business in Healthcare, Inside The Magazine

If the summer heat has kept you at your computer, both at work and at home instead of gardening, bicycling or doing other outdoor activities, you may be feeling stiff and sore from all that time at your workstation. It’s time to limber up!

You can increase your flexibility, ward off stiffness, prevent long-term injuries and prepare for outdoor activities right on the job. Stretching your legs and upper body while you work increases circulation, improves posture and decreases fatigue while simultaneously improving your mental status and ability to concentrate. Taking frequent breaks to stretch—every hour if you are sitting continuously—is important to both your physical and mental health.

Blood will pool in your legs if they are stationary, which can result in blood clots. Exercising your legs for two to five minutes every hour during the day helps circulate the blood. Simple exercises include pumping your legs, pointing your toes and pulling them back and forth when sitting at your desk. If you can stand at your desk, move up and down on your toes. If you have balance issues, hold onto the desk during this type of exercise.

Because most work is in front of us, our upper bodies tend to collapse inward with a rounding of the shoulders and upper back. It’s important to stretch chest muscles to achieve good posture. When sitting, straighten your upper back and pinch your shoulder blades together. When standing, grasp your hands behind your back and push your shoulders back. It’s just as important to be conscious of stretching the upper chest muscles as it is to stretch the legs.

Back and shoulder pain are among the most common work-related complaints and are often caused by ordinary work activities such as sitting in front of a computer all day. Adapting the workplace to your job and using ergonomic principles and tools (such as wrist pads for the mouse and keyboard) can prevent long-term discomfort and injury. Office workers should be sure to have their computer screens adjusted so that there is a direct sight line to the screen.

You should not have to move your head or your eyes excessively in any direction in order to see the screen. It is also important to maintain proper posture in your chair. Make sure your chair is adjusted to the proper height and use a pillow or back rest in your chair so that you do not slouch.

Proper posture is extremely important to good health. When your body is properly balanced, you are not activating muscles unnecessarily. You also achieve better blood flow, which translates to a better oxygen supply. If you have the opportunity, take a walk away from your desk. Both stretching and walking help clear the mind and will make you more productive and decrease pain. For additional advice, you can turn to personal trainers at fitness centers who can help develop activity plans and teach proper forms of stretching and exercise.

It’s important not to bounce when you stretch or to cause pain. Posture is very important when you stretch so that you don’t overstress your muscles. Anyone suffering from chronic pain should work with a physical therapist to develop a daily stretching and activity plan. If you have been sedentary this summer, increase your activity levels gradually. Don’t be a weekend warrior because you’ll only injure yourself. Working with a personal trainer, even for a short time, can be beneficial. If you don’t have access to a trainer, look online or in the library for the proper way to do stretching activities.

Cooler air is right around the corner, and it doesn’t take much to limber up. A combination of stretching on the job and 10 minutes of stretching before and after any kind of exercise will help increase your flexibility, improve your fitness and prevent injury.

For more information about ways to stay healthy, both at work and at home, visit CentraHealth.com.