Exercise & Ergonomics

Exercise: Your body loves moving. Thousands of years ago we had to forage for the food we ate which meant we moved naturally throughout the day. Today, it is a different story. Luckily, we can exercise to make our bodies feel the same as if we were roaming around all day to find our next meal.

Ergonomics: We are big fans of standing work stations, especially if they have the option of switching back and forth from sitting to standing. The ideal ergonomic lifestyle will have a mix of standing, sitting, laying down, and walking. So, don't limit yourself to just one. Equally important, are your eyes which are the part of your body most affected by aging. If you don't have an updated prescription for your eyes, get one, and your neck and back will thank you.

 

7 minute work out

It may not seem like much but there can be positive physiological benefits from as little as 7 minutes of working out.  A lot of people don't have time for 1 hour at the gym and we understand that, but there is a baseline level of activity that you need to be doing in order to keep things running right.  Give this circuit a try every other day and see how you feel!

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Standing Ergonomic Setup

Other than laying down, this is the easiest position on your lower back and neck. American Postural Institute recommends a 3:1 ration of standing to sit (40 min stand: 20 min sit)A few things to note to ensure you are doing this safely:

  1. Set the top of the monitor at eye level, the elbows bent to 90 degrees and monitors directly in front of you

  2. Work into it slowly. Start with 5 minutes every hour and work your way up gradually. Grab a foot fatigue mat and wear comfortable shoes

  3. Evenly distribute your weight between the heel and the ball of your feet and also keep the same amount of weight on your right and left legs. Stand with your 2nd toes directly under your hips, feet facing front, pelvis slightly tucked under and shoulders back and down. If you think you have a problem with this grab 2 bathroom scales and see how you stand.

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Sitting Ergonomic Setup

The setup that most of us have, but probably shouldn't. We're not saying that there aren't ways to make a sitting ergonomic setup more friendly, but research has shown that even with a recline and lumbar support the pressure in the lower back is still less with standing and laying down versus ANY sitting position. That being said - this is the reality for many of us so let's try and make it as healthy as possible

  1. If you don't have a chair that can recline, get one. If you DO have a chair that can recline and you don't have a footrest so you can recline, it is useless. An $800 "ergonomic" chair is worth $0 without a $20 footrest

  2. The top of the screen should be at eye level and your forearms should be parallel to the floor

  3. You must have lumbar support - an external one is better and can be purchased below