I posted this image on our Facebook page earlier this week, and it sparked some conversation in the office. We often underestimate the amount of time that we spend in a seated position throughout the day. For example I asked a patient to track how much time they spend in a sitting position during a regular work day. The number that he came up with was staggering! He told me that he spent almost 16 hours in a seated position that day! I was shocked by that number, but he told me that he included time spent eating, driving to work, sitting at his desk, and then on the couch. He then went on to tell me that he slept for about 7 hours on the average. That means that he spends roughly 4% of his day in a standing position! He did tell me that he typically runs about 10 miles every weekend though!
If you read that story and it hit a little too close to home, know that there are things that you can do to help to alleviate the stress and strain placed on the body from prolonged sitting. We can all take microbreaks! A microbreak is something that we can all do to change our position and avoid that prolonged sitting posture. I have a couple of favorites that I would recommend to anyone who has to sit for any length of time. The best suggestion that I have is that you get out of your chair and move at least twice per hour. If you can get up and go to the rest room, or get a drink of water, or simply get up and walk around your chair. Just Move!
If that is just not possible you might want to try these two options. Both of these are typically done in a standing position, but they can both be performed in a seated position as well. The first is the Overhead Arm Reach and the second is the Brugger's Exercise. Rather than me just retyping the instructions I am going to link to an article that was published in the Journal Of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. (Click on the title of the journal to read the article.) The article has a clear description of how to perform each exercise. I hope that these exercises are helpful for you but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to email or call us.
If you read that story and it hit a little too close to home, know that there are things that you can do to help to alleviate the stress and strain placed on the body from prolonged sitting. We can all take microbreaks! A microbreak is something that we can all do to change our position and avoid that prolonged sitting posture. I have a couple of favorites that I would recommend to anyone who has to sit for any length of time. The best suggestion that I have is that you get out of your chair and move at least twice per hour. If you can get up and go to the rest room, or get a drink of water, or simply get up and walk around your chair. Just Move!
If that is just not possible you might want to try these two options. Both of these are typically done in a standing position, but they can both be performed in a seated position as well. The first is the Overhead Arm Reach and the second is the Brugger's Exercise. Rather than me just retyping the instructions I am going to link to an article that was published in the Journal Of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. (Click on the title of the journal to read the article.) The article has a clear description of how to perform each exercise. I hope that these exercises are helpful for you but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to email or call us.
Movement is my Medicine,
