Are you a 21st century sitter?

For traditional office workers, tech-industry and start-up employees, freelancers and all other shades of worker that rely on their computer to make money, sitting is part and parcel of the job. But sitting is hardly a natural state for our spine; it puts our spines under more pressure than standing or laying supine. When you pile poor posture on top of this, you have a recipe for spinal degeneration that is affecting more of the population than ever. The demographic of people who spend most of their time sitting is getting younger every year, as both our jobs and entertainment options become more digitized. Overwhelming scientific opinion agrees that sedentary lifestyles are among the greatest new threats to our collective health. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we believe that reducing the amount of time spent sitting should be a primary health objective for any office worker. 

Focus on sitting less consecutively 

Even if you had access to a sit-stand desk, chances are you wouldn’t be able to stand comfortably for more than a few hours. That’s because our bodies, and in particular our spines, crave movement. So let’s start small: if sitting for large chunks of time is endemic to your job, take steps to break up the amount of consecutive time you spend sitting. Here’s how you can do that:

• Take a microbreak: you don’t even have to stand up for this one. Just take your hands off the keyboard and stretch up toward the ceiling, providing a gentle elongation for the spine. 
• Stand up at least once an hour: even if you don’t go anywhere. Just do some gentle upper body twists, or bend over slowly and let your arms hang down toward your feet 
• Take walks frequently- whether
• Take a brisk walk at lunch 
• Always use the stairs
• Choose face-to-face chats rather than a quick e-mail

Protecting your spine is imperative when you sit too much 

Treating your spine this way is proven to benefit both body and brain with upticks in performance. If you are a 21st century sitter, it’s time to get serious about protecting your spine against the ill-effects of your job. At our office in Sacramento, we are prepared to help- give us a call to schedule an appointment and start strengthening your spine against sitting today.