From now on feel free to put your feet up on your desk instead of sitting upright.
It would be better to move from one mediocre posture to the next regularly than to sit in the same “perfect posture” all day. Even if your posture is perfect but unchanging, it will create minor repetitive strain to the muscles, joints, discs and nerves that are doing all the work to hold you upright. For this same reason, sit-stand desks are only as good as how you use them; if you don’t vary your posture between sitting and standing then it defeats the purpose of having one.
You could argue that your best posture is always the one that is coming next. Changing your position regularly is one of the best strategies to limit repetitive strain of the body and the chronic musculoskeletal problems that come with a the #desklife. Yes, it is important to find your perfect posture during times of intense work but it is just as important to give those same postural muscles a break from time-to-time.
- Put your feet up on your desk
- Stand up for 3 seconds and reach for the sky
- Do small “hoola-hoops” in your chair
- Stand at your desk (whether it is built for it or not)
- Lunge at your desk (it clearly was not built for this)
- Slouch back into your chair to rest your back…
All of these are great strategies to help limit physical stress that creates Core Problems in the spine and nervous system over time! Like almost all health problems, those of the nervous system and spine are less the result of acute trauma and more the result of negative lifestyle factors building up. Small changes, like the aforementioned movement strategies, can create dramatic differences in the long term when done consistently.
For this reason, our new 30-Day-Health-Challenge for January is for you to change postures every 20 minutes while at work. Simple. Easy. Attainable.
We know that it takes about 30 days of consistent practice to instil a new skill and I cannot think of something with more longterm benefit to your spine and nervous system if you work on a computer all day.
If you attempt or complete our challenge, we will have a special bonus for you at the end of the month!
Follow along on Instagram this month ( dr.@alexritza ) for regular video updates of how you can conquer this challenge and help your stiff neck, back and shoulders.
HAPPY NEW YEARS
– Dr Alex
Our MOVE Curriculum (FREE DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE) gives you the strategies our patients use to get the most out of their care and meet the health requirement of Movement. It is also a MUST for anyone living the #desklife that wants their body to move properly again!
