5 tips for people who work on a computer
What happens when you stay at the computer for too long? Studies on people who are engaged in agriculture indicate that these people sit for about 2-3 hours a day. The average American office worker can sit for 1 to 3 hours.
According to Dr. James Levine, head of the Arizona State Clinic, obesity has at least 24 different causes, all related to excessive sitting.
The human body is designed to walk 40km a day in search of food, accompanied by fighting with huge animals, and after thousands of years of evolution, humans have “evolved” en masse to a sedentary lifestyle with a reduction of all physical movement.
Lack of movement slows down the metabolism, and the energy from the food consumed remains unused. In this way, fats accumulate, leading to many diseases such asobesity, diabetes and all kinds of cardiovascular problems. For example, sitting in a chair after a meal leads to a rise in blood sugar, and walking after a meal can cut this risk in half. When you stand in one place for a long time, it increases the risk of premature death, even if you are not overweight.
It was found that women who sat for more than 7 hours a day increased their risk of depression by 47%, compared to those who sat for only 2 hours. Here are 5 steps that will help you fight sitting.
1. Stand up
If your workplace is not suitable, the desk is too low and the chair is uncomfortable, it does not mean that you have a problem. Just stand up, put your computer on top of some books and you can work standing up.
Often when I travel and stay in different hotels, I put the bin upside down and place it on the desk. So I put my laptop on top and work without fear of any risks that come from sitting for 14 hours a day.
2. Get moving
Why do you need to sit while doing any kind of work? If you want to avoid this problem, you can look at different models of ergonomic desks, but if you don’t have extra funds, this is not the only solution. Just when you’re on the phone, you can stand up and walk around the room, get up to pour yourself some water, or just go over to a colleague and talk to them.
3. Watch your monitor
It’s good to have the top of your computer monitor at eye level so you can directly work instead of moving your head and neck. In this way, you will avoid distortions and pain in these areas, and you will also protect yourself from the so-called “dry eye syndrome”.
4. Straighten your head
Your head should be properly straightened so as not to create excessive strain on the neck and spine. In this way, you will also protect yourself from the appearance of a “double chin”.
5. Try the Timer Technique
Remember those little timers we use in the kitchen to boil eggs? If you don’t have one, you can use the stopwatch or your phone’salarm, or a regular alarm clock.
Simply set up one of these devices for 25 minutes, during which time you get active and do your work intensively. Then take 5 minutes for yourself by standing up, walking around the room, doing a few squats or jumping jacks.
