That’s right, everyone, take a stand. For yourself, for your health, and for your right to choose what constitutes as excessive Netflix! Well, that last one is for another time, but seriously take a stand and get up off of your butt. It is scary how much I have been reading  about how, according to these so called “Doctors”, my health will vastly improve by using these sit/stand desks at my work. It is like I have walked into a anti-sedentary, anti-couch-potato, anti-wear-your-pajamas-to-work nightmare! But it is a good kind of nightmare, because just as those scary monsters in our closets creep up, unbeknownst to us, so can health issues from poor posture, eye strain, wrist strain, lack of activity, and the list goes on.

Fortunately, and as I am learning, there are many simple ways we can help reduce the risk of any health issues we may encounter due to sitting too much at work. The following are a few things that I am trying to integrate into my daily routine while at work.

1. Stand for a few minutes while at my desk

After sitting down, even just for thirty minutes or more, my legs consistently will begin to tingle and eventually start to cramp. When this happens I used to just fidget around and try to get more comfortable, but it never did any good. So, a few weeks ago I began to get the old back side out of the chair and stand for a few minutes. This helps the blood circulate more efficiently through my legs and allows me to fill my lungs better with that sweet oxygen, which of course enters the blood stream and then is transported to that pile of mush between my ears, allowing me to think more clearly and be more productive.

2. Take a quick walk

Mark and I usually take a walk down to  the Post Office at some point in time during the day, so we can collect all of the checks our satisfied customers send us ( more like a bunch bills, but we can pretend, cant we? ). This is one of the high-lights of the day. It get us out of the office and out into the fresh air. I look to do it after lunch , because usually after filling my belly with food, I feel like I need a siesta. A walk, again by allowing the blood to circulate my body, gives me an extra little boost, so I can carry on with my day without having to lay down. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.

3. Stretch

As I said before, for me, after thirty minutes of sitting, my legs, without failure, will start to cramp up (actually just in the short time I have been writing this I can feel my muscles tensing). What I like to do is to put my hands against a wall, put one leg back further than the other, and get a good stretch in my calf. I realize that everyone has different body structures, but sometimes I feel as though I was born with ultra elastic leg muscles. Every time I stretch them, sure enough, within an hour, there is more tension than there is in the Middle-East. I also like to stretch my quads, as this  larger muscle group tends to cramp easily from over sitting. For this, I will balance myself against the wall or on the back of a chair, and flex either my right or left knee, so I am able to grab my ankle, and hold it until I can feel my muscles slowly loosen. My neck is another sensitive area, since I spend a lot time working at a computer. To help relax my neck, I place one hand on the top of my head and pull it down towards my shoulder, as this gets a nice deep stretch. I will do the same thing for the back of my neck by putting both hands toward the back of my head and pulling it down toward my chest.

4. Walk and Talk

If your in sales, you can understand the importance of making phone calls. Whether it is potential clients or existing clients, you spend a lot of time talking on the phone. Unfortunately, most of the time this is done while being seated at your desk. If you can, pace around while talking on the phone, even if it is just at your desk, so you can easily reference something, getting the blood flowing while communicating with someone allows the tiny grey matter to work better, and makes you a better sales person. I have noticed that when talking to people over the phone, I can think more clearly if I walk around a bit. It actually encourages me to talk with my hands, even though they can’t see me, I like to think it makes my argument more compelling.

There are numerous other things that can be done to make you more productive at work and reduce your risk for health issues, such as eating healthier, making sure you have sufficient lighting, height adjustable desks, etc…but I find that just over the past few moths, these four simple changes in my daily routine have not only increased the amount work I get done in a day, but have made me feel a million times better. I would strongly suggest that if you feel confined to your desk and are experiencing any uncomfortableness from sitting all day, to do some research on how you can improve your situation, but in the mean time you can put the above into practice and see how that helps.

If you are interested in height adjustable desks and how they can benefit you, watch the following video, and it might just be enough to scare you into talking to your boss about getting you a new ergonomic desk. And feel free to check a few ergonomic product lines here at CIS: https://www.cisevolve.com/ergonomics-2/

 

video by Next Desks