Surviving Your Desk!

10 Tips for Desk Workers


1. Be free! The more you wiggle, stretch, and move in your seat, generally the better off you are.
2. Get up! Take breaks every hour or less.  By break I mean, stand up and walk around.
3. Sit Well! Slide your butt to the back of the chair and try to get on your “sit bones” – aka ischial tuberosity – in order not to slouch.
4. Hydrate! Drink plenty of water.
5. Be happy! Make yourself smile every once in awhile – even if it’s at the computer screen.
6. Ground! Put your feet flat on the ground every once in awhile, if not most of the time.
7. Look away! Look away from the computer – either out the window, or to a far off wall, to exercise your eyes.
8. Stretch! Stretch your arms up to the sky, look up to the ceiling, backbend, and breathe.
9. Learn! Take advantage of the ergo assessment person!
10. Avoid the creep! Try to keep your face and head from creeping towards your monitor relative to your shoulders.  (Get a cubicle mate to check you).

Three Things Men Do Wrong

By Greg Brynelson, 8/17/10

To follow up the post, “Three Things Women Do Wrong” here is one for the men. Please know this is a bit tongue and cheek - and really these are simply suggestions as to how to modify common habits to make your body a bit happier. Plus, I know guys do a lot more than 3 things wrong.

1. Sit on your wallet:
When you sit on a wallet it places a good inch to half inch rise on that hip. Always sticking your on a wallet in the same back pocket can drive the pelvis into an asymmetrical pattern. Doing this day in and day out can create an imbalance in the low back that becomes chronic.

My suggestion: When you go to sit down, switch the wallet to the front pocket or place it in a bag.



2. Get intimidated by wellness classes (i.e. Pilates, yoga, dance):
Many men in the Bay Area are “enlightened”, but by in large I get the sentiment from men that things like yoga, pilates, and dance are for women. In fact women still dominate purchases in this industry and are the majority gender in any classroom of this type.

My suggestion: There are a lot of ways to change your thinking about this, but it helps to think of attending these classes as ways to balance out the other ways you use your body. For instance if you work a lot at the computer, or do physically demanding work, or even exercise, think of dance, yoga, or pilates as a counter-balance to that part of your life.
If you’re a woman, please invite a man friend to your class, he might consider it coming from you. For the straight men – just think of all the toned and flexible women you stand to meet at such classes.



3. Slouch!
I know we all do this, but if I had to guess men do this more than women. We’ve come a long way with the ergonomic support and analysis in the workplace – so there is beginning to be an awareness here. But even the best ergonomic chair won’t help if you’re not sitting in it properly. Many men don’t even know what proper sitting is (maybe if we attended more pliates or yoga classes)!

My suggestion: Before you settle into your chair, slide your butt back as far as it goes. Leaving a large gap of space between your butt and the back of the chair is the main culprit of the slouch. By sliding back along the chair, your low back is supported and this good base of support will naturally raise your shoulders and head to the sky. Mentally check in throughout the day to see if you’ve slid forward, and then slide on back if you have.

Thanks for reading! Be well.

For more interesting articles, or to schedule a session with me personally visit my website: www.cityrolfer.com

Three Things Women do Wrong

By Greg Brynelson Certified Rolfer®, RN
7/28/2010

#1. Carry a heavy purse on one shoulder.

It’s big, it’s heavy, it has all your stuff for the day in it, and it’s throwing off your shoulders. As a Rolfer I constantly see women with one shoulder hiked up and frozen in this position. In fact many women can no longer even carry a purse on the opposite shoulder their body is so organized around holding up the purse carrying one..

The alternative: Get an across the body strap or wear a backpack.

#2. Wear high heels daily.

I know that couple extra inches under your heels make your legs look longer, your butt stick out and your chest too, but daily wearing of heels throws off your center of gravity and messes with the foot/calf structure. It doesn’t allow for full articulation of the foot on the ground, jams the toes to a point, and shortens calf muscles. Not to mention, your lumbar spine is thrown into a sway and your body organizes backwards – as if you’re walking downhill all day.

The alternative: Shorter heels, wider heels, or just simple supportive shoes that have no lift.

#3. Talk on a phone for work.

If you answer the phone for a living and don’t wear a headset you’re not alone. I see a lot of women with jammed up necks and shoulders from trying to hold onto the phone throughout the day. Not only does this make multitasking harder, it creates a pattern of usage that over time leads to neck and shoulder imbalance.

The alternative: wear a headset or go speakerphone.

These are all observations from my Rolfing practice of over 7 years in San Francisco’s Financial District. I work with many people to assess their posture patterns and release the deep holdings carried within the body.

If you would like a free consultation, or to find out more about Rolfing visit my website today:

www.cityrolfer.com

Coming soon: “3 Things Men do Wrong”