Fix Your Posture To Maximize Muscle
In todays business world more workers find themselves hunched over computers for hours everyday crunching away on their daily grind. The technology has provided many added benefits to our lives and in the business world, however the negative effect on ones health can not quite be measured yet. Users experience pain and ache from things like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Computer Vision Syndrome, and back & neck pain from poor posture while sitting and their desks for long durations of time.
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has been described by some as a form of arthritic inflammation and has been linked to computer use. Patience that explain the symptoms often describe numbness, tingling, and weakness due to long durations of pressure being put on the median nerve in the wrist. Computer companies have tried to combat this epidemic by designing more ergonomic work stations, track pads, touch screens, and other alternatives to the mouse. Also, there have been mouse pads designed to support the wrist to take pressure off the nerves. These wrist supporting pads also force a user to adjust their posture. Proper posture and wrist support can increase productivity.
Computer “Eyes”
We interviewed Dr. Bartlett of the Bartlett Eye and Laser Clinic in Washington state about Computer Vision Syndrome. Dr. Bartlett went on to say that there glasses on the market that filter certain elements projected on a computer screen allowing for users to combat eye fatigue. There are also more options available today for dimming and adjusting the font size on our personal computers. The Doctor also proceeded to say that “squinting at our computer screens not only effects our vision but it’s disrupts the posture” on a user as they find themselves hunched over squinting into the screen to read or write. Improving the vision of a user and also have added benefits on their posture. Be eliminating the need to hunch and squint we can prevent some of the back and neck pains users experience.
Back & Neck Pain
By improving your workstation, monitor, and possibly adding some form of optics to filter light you can improve your posture which will intern give you more energy throughout the day and build muscle. There are stability balls on the market that are often used in place of chairs for workers stuck in an office all day. These Physio Ball Chairs force a user to maintain good posture while working at their desk, eliminating the desire to hunch and slouch in a solid back chair. When we interviewed Dr. Doyle of Doyle Chiropractic, he went on to say that he has actually seen a decrease of patient complaints while implementing the use of a stability ball in the office. Dr. Doyle has actually begun prescribing stability balls to patience that sit at a computer for lengths greater than 4 hours a day. The results have been successful.
New Posture – New You
With all that said, how can this improve your physical health? Well, it’s quite simple. If people were leaving their office at night feeling strong, feeling as if there necks, backs, eyes, and wrists weren’t a total wreck, then more people would stop by the gym to work out. Maintaining a strict fitness regimen is difficult enough without the added pain from the days efforts. By eliminating some of the unnecessary pains and discomforts from everyday life we can buy ourselves the time needed to make it the gym, to get out in the yard and maintain it, to get back a quality of life through physical fitness that we all deserve and staying Fit For Life!