I want to take a chance to also show you the opposite. What if the stimulus we most commonly gave our body was a lack of physical demand but rather placing it in a seated position for long periods. I have trained literally thousands of clients over the years that have been computer programmers or other desk employees. Many of them come in with similar issues, most commonly is back pain. Upper back pain and neck pain is almost a given for those that work at a desk for extended periods of time.

So like I said in the title we become what we are. If we are a person who sits at a desk for many hours at a time and that becomes the dominant stimulus we give to our muscles, we slowly turn into a body that is designed to sit. Look at the picture of this guy. Pretty typical posture that we see of anyone working at a computer. As I type this I am kneeling and doing as many exercises between sentences as I can. If we spend multiple hours at a time in this position, eventually our body will become permanently stuck in this position.

We must constantly give our bodies the necessary stimulus it needs to maintain our natural posture and our muscular efficiency. Make sure if you are someone who needs to spend a significant amount of time in a seated position, or any fixed position for that matter, try to get up and move as often as you can. This will not only drastically slow down the process of your body conforming to this stimulus, it may complete prevent it if you work at it.

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Loren sent me an article about a local company here in Oregon that has taken that step. Here is the article from oregonlive.com. I am always amazed that this is not more of a priority for companies. I know many of them offer the chance to do some exercise by supplying gym memberships or offering to pay for trainers even. Why however if you know it is going to accomplish things like, increased work performance, less sick days, less workmans comp from injuries, and a host of other great benefits do companies not make this mandatory?

I understand if perhaps a union is involved that does not allow for it but if you are a business owner would it not be worth the first twenty minutes of the day? After all it is not like your punishing people, just help them achieve better health. I have  seen plenty of studies that discuss the many obvious benefits to your company if you keep your body healthy.

The exercises do not need to be overly intense but rather moves that will help to improve your employees overall posture. This alone can make a significant dent in the amount of nuisance injuries like carpal tunnel and even many types of back pain.

Here is an example that would work well for you to try:

Cats and Dogs is one of those moves that everyone needs to do daily. It is great for many various reasons but in this case, the movement of the spine may be most important.

If you have never checked out the store we have a few different options to accomplish this type of goal for your employees. First is the AM/PM program. This is a series of routines that will enable anyone to help get their body into better alignment as well as increases in flexibility and strength.

Also a great option for employees is the Cubicle workout program. The people who have used this program love how easy it is and the tremendous benefit they feel. Check them out if you are looking for ways to improve your personal or companies overall physical health.

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It has some good information on tips to setting up your desk and chair to reduce the stress and negative effects that we suffer during the time spent at our desks. I hope it helps you out. Also remember to watch for our cubicle exercise program coming soon!

In recent years, workers, employers and regulators have come to recognize the importance of making offices ergonomic. An ergonomic office is essential to helping prevent injuries due to cumulative trauma from repetitive tasks such as typing.

Buying ergonomic furniture or other equipment and hiring consultants to teach your workers how to protect themselves against injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome can be expensive. But the costs of not making that investment are much higher — and sometimes ruinous. Employers often must pay for medical treatment or workers´ compensation for employees injured by repetitive work. In extreme cases, workers with serious workplace-related cumulative trauma injuries have sued their employers under OSHA regulation 51(a), which requires employers to provide a safe environment for their employees.

The hidden costs of cumulative trauma injuries are even more damaging. Avoidable injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and back strain cut into workers´ productivity, sometimes forcing employees to miss work or change careers altogether. In fact, experts estimate that the hidden costs of cumulative trauma injuries are two to seven times as great as the visible costs.

Before your employees complain of sore forearms or wrists or lower back pain, invest in making your office ergonomic. Think of it as an investment in your employees. The fact that you are willing to invest in their well being can also help build loyalty, boost morale and improve employee retention. And if that´s not incentive enough, consider this: OSHA has proposed standards to force employers to make their offices ergonomic.

With that in mind, try these five ways to improve the ergonomics of your office:

• Set up computer stations properly. Desks are made for writing, not for computing. Standard desk height is 30 inches; consultants recommend 27- or 28-inch work stations for people who spend at least half of their work time at a computer. The wrong keyboard height can lead to wrist, back, neck and shoulder strain. Monitors should be set up so that the top line of type is between eye level and 15 degrees below eye level. Proper positioning can prevent neck and back problems.
• Buy adjustable chairs. Make sure your chairs have adjustable height, rotating five-wheel bases, tiltable seats and adjustable back rests. Employees should familiarize themselves with their chairs´ features so they can position the chairs for maximum comfort. Knees, hips and elbows should be kept at right angles when sitting. If your employees share workstations or are frequently moving to different desks, encourage them to always adjust the height and backrest of whatever chair they are using that day.

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• Keep muscles fresh by providing support and adjusting position. Proper support for sensitive body parts encourages blood flow, which carries oxygen to muscles and carts away waste. Consider buying forearm rests and wrist cushions to use while typing or footrests for employees whose feet don´t rest squarely on the floor. Tell everyone to adjust their position repeatedly throughout the day so that they don´t continually fight gravity with the same muscles.
• Set up desks so that workers can avoid repeating difficult tasks. For example, a worker shouldn´t have to make an awkward reach for a frequently used folder.
• If you or an employee experiences physical discomfort at work, act immediately.Even a small delay can turn a small problem into a major one. And don´t hesitate to call a consultant: A single appointment could prevent a serious injury.

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As a bonus there is an insert that will be included in the package. It is our how to make a more functional workspace checklist. You will be able to print it out and hang it right there at your desk. It is full of ideas you can be doing on a constant basis to help make the workplace a little less damaging on your body. 

This program is also going to be an option for anyone who lives a sedentary lifestyle. If you have a friend or relative who spends a significant amount of time at the computer or due to physical disabilities is forced to be in a seated position for long periods of time, consider this a great option to keep their muscular system as efficient as possible.

Check back here soon to get the instructions on how to download this great tool for anyone who wishes to try and not allow their sedentary job to get the best of them physically. If you know of anyone who can benefit from these exercises, send them to the site, they will thank you for it!

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If you are having trouble finding a suitable timing device, most stop watches will have a countdown alarm on them as well.  Amazon.com has several good choices. This one has a great price and a very high satisfaction rating. Also it has a small and sleek design so your boss wont even know it is there!

Here are a few examples of some exercises you can do sitting at your desk. These are designed to help ease the tension in your upper back and neck area as you sit at your desk. Each of these can be done just sitting in your chair. 

The first exercise is great for moving your scapulas (shoulder blades) to help them from becoming too tight. It is very common that office workers develop such extreme tightness in this area that over time they literally develop what the medical community calls “Frozen Shoulder”. This occurs when the muscles responsible for the movement of the scapulas become so tight from holding your poor posture that they can no longer move the joint. 

To perform the exercise, make sure your feet are flat on the floor and sit up as straight as you can. Now place your knuckles on your temples and in a slow controlled motion, bring the elbows as close together as you can, then pull them behind you as you pinch you shoulder blades together. Continue to do this for a total of 10-20 repetitions.

 For the next exercise, again place your feet flat on the floor. Now interlace your fingers and turn your palms away from you. Now lift them as high over your head as you can, then lower them back down to your desk. Continue to lift up and down while keeping your back as straight as you can. 

This is a great move for lengthening the muscles of the back and arms that become very tight while sitting at the desk. I also like the extension it puts into your spine! Try to do 10-20 repetitions of this one as well.

For the last move I will show you today you again want to just place your feet flat on the floor. Now place your arms down onto the tops of your thighs near your knees. From this position round your back and tuck your chin to your chest as far as you can without discomfort. Now keeping your arms straight and hands on the thighs, extend your back and look up towards the ceiling. Continue to flex and extend the back slowly and work to go as far as you can in each direction. This is a sitting version of the classic Yoga move, Cats and Cows or Cats and Dogs. Again this one is going to help your back from “casting” itself into a position of poor posture.

We will be putting together a whole series of exercises you can download to do at your desk soon. Check back here often to look for it. It will include several time efficient workouts for you to do in your cubicle or office to help maintain a level of muscular efficiency that will promote great posture and movement. In the meantime do these 3 exercises and get your timer ordered. Set it for 20 minutes and do the 3 exercises then stand up and go grab a sip of water from the cooler or drinking fountain!

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Many people who work in cubicles still go and exercise but if you spend 10 hours a day in the chair and then workout for an hour, you are fighting a losing battle. I have had hundreds of clients who fit into this category over the years. The problem that many of them were also suffering from was the type of exercise they were choosing. many had gone to the local gym and met with a trainer for a few sessions. Inevitably they would be taken through the Nautilus circuit equipment and taught how to use the exercise bike. So they sat all day at work, then went to the gym, sat on the exercise bike for 30 minutes, then went through and sat down on each of the pieces of weight equipment. They did get their heart rate up but they did absolutely nothing to fight off the negative side effect of sitting in a chair all day. 

There are many ways to lessen the damage that occurs in your muscular efficiency while working at a job that demands sitting for long periods. My clients have had great success over the years with the “Egg Timer Method”. I would purchase them an egg timer and they would set it to go off every 20 minutes at work. When it would ding they would get up, do a series of exercises that I prescribed for them (which usually lasted 2-3 minutes), then they would go right back to work. Also even as you are sitting there you can put your body into certain positions that will help keep your muscular system attempting to provide proper posture and alleviate pain symptoms in your body.

This can make a tremendous difference throughout the day. Many chronic pain sufferers were able to eliminate their symptoms by using this trick. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was a major one that many of the clients I helped were dealing with. Also low back pain and perhaps the worst of all ws the upper back and neck pain they suffered from. 

Next post I will give you a few examples of things you can do. In the meantime go out and buy and egg timer or any other device that has a countdown timer on it. It is the first step to making your cubicle a little more functional.

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