Work Smart for Back Health {giveaway}

For the first few years of my blogging career, I chose to work from a living room chair with a folding table beside it. It caused me to twist sideways towards the table, which resulted in severe back pain. To combat this problem, I went out and bought a fabulous desk with an ergonomic chair complete with arm rests and lumbar support. I use footrest so that my short legs can still be bent at a 90 degree angle with my shoulders back and back straight. The desk is motorized to move up and down from a sitting desk to a standing desk too, because they say sitting is the new smoking and I wanted a way to work without always sitting. The standing option helps me feel more focused while I work and more importantly, it is helping me strive towards more strength and better health.

According to the Ontario Chiropractic Association, prolonged sitting creates a steady compression of the spinal discs and keeps them from getting the nutrients they need to stay healthy. [i] Sitting requires the muscles to hold the abdomen, neck and shoulders in a fixed position, squeezing the blood vessels and reducing blood flow. An insufficient blood supply quickens fatigue and can make muscles prone to injury.ⁱⁱ Research shows that those who spend most of their day in a seated position had the highest rate of hospitalization for low back pain injury, suggesting that when injuries happen they are quite severe.[ii]

You can bet I moved my desk from the seated position to the standing position while I wrote this article!

So what else can desk dwellers like myself do to strengthen our backs?

• Focus on posture! Square the shoulders and align your ears with your shoulders.
• Alternate between a stability ball and an office chair to strengthen your core.
• Eat a balanced diet, including drinking a lot of water, to feed your body and mind.
• Exercise regularly. Take a walk on your lunch break, or do some strengthening through the day. Anything is beneficial.
• Take frequent breaks and don’t forget to stretch. Chiropractors recommend stretching to increase circulation, decrease aches and pains, and maintain perfect posture. Try this….

Interlace your fingers, place them behind your head and gently push your head into your hands to loosen your neck muscles. To stretch your chest and the front of your body, place your hands on either side of your spine, roll your shoulders back and lift the heart up towards the ceiling.[iii]

Another great resource is the Straighten Up Canada app that was developed by Canadian Chiropractors. It offers 12 unique posture exercises, how-to photos and videos to help keep you active and aligned. The app is free to download on iOS, Android and Blackberry devices.[iv]

Remember, if your back pains are lingering, a chiropractor can give you the guidance you may need to manage your back health. Visit www.chiropractic.on.ca to find a local chiropractor and to learn more about your overall health.

One of my lucky readers will win this back health prize pack.

[i] Ontario Chiropractic Assocation. Sitting down on the job. https://www.chiropractic.on.ca/sitting-down-on-the-job-your-back-health. Last accessed April 20, 2016.
[ii] Lis, A.M., et al. Association between sitting and occupational LBP. European Spine Journal, 2007. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2200681/. Last accessed April 22, 2016.
[iii] Ontario Chiropractic Assocation. Quick and Easy Stretches To Keep You Moving Throughout Your Day. https://ocaprod2.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/Documents/Public%20Education/Exercise%20Handout.pdf. Last accessed April 20, 2016.
[iv] Ontario Chiropractic Association. Straighten Up Canada. http://www.chiropractic.ca/straighten-up-canada/. Last accessed April 20, 2016.