Are you an entrepreneur who is working hard to convert your startup dream into reality?
Are you a work-from-home freelancer who is working hard to complete client's project?
Are you an employee who is working hard to boost your company's image in the market?
If you are working hard, it shows your dedication towards your work. I, too, believe in the positive results of hard work. As I am worried about the long hours sitting health hazards, I want to know the answer to this question:
Are you working too hard?
If yes, you are in deep trouble.
Physical inactivity gives birth to diabetes, hypertension, mood disorders, colon cancer, high blood pressure and cholesterol level, and many other life-threatening problems. In fact, 35 % of coronary heart disease mortality results from physical inactivity.
Adverse effects of Sitting for long hours:
By spending long hours at desks, your health often takes a backseat. Issues like anxiety, stress, and depression to become a commonplace in your daily routine.
It results in a back problem, muscle degeneration, leg disorders, strained neck and shoulders.
A study on 794,577 individuals confirms an association of sedentary lifestyle with increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
If you are looking for increasing your workspace productivity levels and live a better life, you are on the right page. Here are some practical strategies to beat your sedentary lifestyle:
Your Eyes are Precious: Keep them Safe
People blink less frequently while working long hours on a computer screen. It results in eye strain and headache. Give some rest to your eyes by blinking them. It helps in preventing your eyes from dryness and irritation.
Match the brightness of the display with the light of your surrounding workstation. Make sure you are not working in too bright or too dark conditions. Place your screen at an eye level and avoid any screen reflection.
Simple eye exercises for protecting your precious eyes:
Glare on your surrounding walls or objects.
Hold a pen/pencil at your arm's length. Slowly, bring it back towards your nose till you can focus on it properly. Repeat the process 3-5 times by taking the pencil back and forth.
Close your eyes. Rub your palms and place it on your eyes. It will be a soothing experience.
If you can't allocate a proper time for your eye exercise, EyeLeo is the solution. It is a free PC application, helps you take regular breaks from your computer work by showing simple eye exercises. A cute leopard comes on the screen at desired intervals and reminds you to give rest to your eyes.
Change the Way You Sit
Sitting is the new smoking because sedentary lifestyles contribute 10 percent of the risk of breast and colon cancer, 6 percent of the risk of heart disease, and 7 percent of the risk of type 2 diabetes.
As the human body was built to move, it is imperative to include healthy sitting habits and stay away from any future spinal complications. Sit straight to avoid sitting in a turtle posture where you place twice as much compressive pressure on your lumbar spine.
Ryan J. Hogan, the founder of Desk Jockey, lists out these sitting techniques to overcome the hidden dangers of sitting:
Sit directly in the middle of your chair by keeping your feet flat on the floor.
Don't slouch back in your chair for longer periods.
Avoid sitting on a tilted chairs to prevent from straining your hip and buttock muscles.
A Vanderbilt University study of 6,300 people published in the American Journal of Epidemiology estimated the average American spent 55 percent of their waking time (7.7 hours a day) in sedentary behaviors such as sitting.
Wake up!!
Don't wait for the big irrecoverable trouble. Start working on your sitting posture by taking note of small things.
The wrong position can turn into a silent killer. Don't take this lightly because you spend most of waking time in sitting. Keep a close look at your sitting posture.
Tiny Exercise Breaks
If you are finding difficulty in taking out time to perform 30-60 minutes workout in one go, try these exercise at your workplace for 5-10 minutes at different intervals.
- Squeeze your buttocks. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds. Release the tension on the muscles. Repeat. In a similar manner, squeeze your shoulder blades.
Everything in excess is opposed to nature ~ Hippocrates
Don't push yourself to an extreme from where it becomes impossible to recover. Long hour sitting extinguishes the fire within to do any more work. A good posture helps in increasing your productivity levels and minimizing the workload.
Start your work with this question in mind:
At what cost are you completing your task?
Always Remember:
Health comes first.