Is Sitting Bad For You?

Staying healthy is important to all of us.  Many of us strive to eat healthier and exercise more.  It is a struggle to do that.  Our lives are often busy and our jobs can get in the way of healthy living.

Enter Wally from the Dilbert comic strip.  Recently, Wally filed a workers’ compensation claim for a sitting injury.  Like Wally, many of us spend a great deal of our day sitting.

At our law firm, most of our jobs are sedentary.  This means that we sit most of the time.  Most of the time, we are very busy.  If we are not careful to stand up and move around, we can sit for hours straight while we work at our desk.

Why should I not sit for extended periods?

So, what is wrong with that? Many of us grew up thinking that rest was good for your body.  It would heal up injuries rather than causing them.  Scientific research is starting to indicate that sitting for extended periods can increase risks of obesity, high blood pressure, cancer, and other medical conditions.

Our law firm helps people with injuries every day.  We cannot go back in time and prevent those injuries from happening, as much as our clients would like us to be able to do so.  Some injuries are unpreventable.  But, people can often take steps to decrease the risk of being injured.

My job requires me to sit. What steps can I take to stay healthier?

First, make sure that your job actually requires you to sit. You may be able to use a standing desk.

If you have to sit, you may be able to improve your seat. Some people use a yoga ball to work their core muscles while they are sitting.

If you have to sit, taking breaks at work to stand up and move around is just one of the ways that we can minimize our risks of herniated discs, poor circulation, and neck and shoulder injuries.  The Washington Post article also mentions that proper posture and stretching are also important.

Taking care of your body is important. Many of us spend a large portion of our waking time at work.

We need to take care of ourselves when we are there.  Taking the time to make sure we take care of ourselves at work can help us to live better and avoid injuries.