Seating what’s your best option?

Many of us that work behind a desk all day long usually start to have leg or back pain after a certain amount of time. Is the seating you have chosen the best option?

Let’s face it after a seating behind the desk all day most of us over time start to hurt, whether it’s our legs or our back discomfort is common. So what is the underlying issue? In my humble opinion, the chair is not your only problem it is simply that you are sitting too long during the day. So what are your options?

Option one, retire!! Now for most of us, this isn’t possible I just wanted to get your attention. The easiet option is to simply get up every hour, move around stretch, take a walk… move! You need circulation in your lower limbs and over time sitting can cause reduced blood flow. Reduced circulation can cause pain and in some cases numbness/pain.

Do yourself and your body a favor and get moving. Set an alarm, get a drink, do something to ensure you’re getting up every hour. My number one tip for this is to drink water, lots and lots of water. Trust me if you are drinking 8-10 oz of water every hour you’re going to the bathroom. This not only keeps you hydrated, but you’re also getting out of that chair.

Another option is getting an ergonomic chair that will force you to sit properly. Now the problem with these chairs are we adjust for comfort instead of simple height. What does this do, well, in short, you’ve probably wasted a lot of money on a chair that you could have spent $50 on to do make you comfortable.  The point of ergo chairs is to keep your spine in its natural relaxed position. The problem most of us have is we’ve been sitting improperly for so long the proper position is not comfortable.

A newer option is the standing desk. These newer desks give you the option to raise or lower your desk from a standing to a sitting position. Varidesk is a company that has basic to powered desks options depending on your budget. Allowing the user to vary their desktop position throughout the day. I would recommend a good pad for your feet if standing for long periods for added support.

My last and personal favorite, low-cost option is the exercise ball. Yes, having a big bouncy ball in your office does sound odd but it can help so much more than you think. The ball when at the proper height (knees should be bent around 90* while sitting) not only helps strengthen back it also promotes abdominal core strengthening. By stregthening the back and core you are helping to reduce pain and discomfort.

So now you’ve picked your best seating option, what is the next step? Like a good pair of new shoes, you need to start out using your new option sparingly. Maybe one or two hours the first day or two and then add time slowly. Now, this may take a week or two weeks but after some time it will become more comfortable. Over time your body will thank you for it with pain reduction or with all hope of permanent pain relief.

Whatever option you choose, please remember the number one rule, get up or move around every hour!

Let me know how or if these tips helped you and if your looking for a massage call me and lets set something up!