Conditions like tech neck are on the rise as you spend more time at the desk, sitting in front of screens at home and at work.
But who said you can’t have an office job and not be active? With the legitimate concern that sitting is the new smoking due to the effects of inactivity on our health and fitness, it is important to find opportunities to move more every day.
Gratefully, we have your back, literally! It’s time to add desk exercises to your daily work routine…
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Technological and work-related issues
The issue is that using technology such as laptops, computers, tablets and smartphones encourages physical inactivity and poor posture, leading to conditions such as technology neck (also known as text neck).
This is why work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) and related pain are at an all-time high, with low back pain, neck pain and shoulder pain the most prevalent1.
Three of the biggest contributors to WRMSD are:
- Sitting for extended periods of time without regular breaks.
- Staring at the computer screen for a long time. and,
- Sitting for prolonged periods with improper posture.
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Sit up straight
Sitting for extended periods can they negatively affect our spine and body due to our inability to maintain proper posture for long periodsespecially if our workstation does not promote good posture.
This leads to a rounded-shouldered slouch as we look at our computer screens, causing the muscles in the back of our neck to shorten and the muscles in the front to lengthen. The result is often neck pain and associated headaches.
Constant leaning also short-circuits the chest muscles, contributing to rounded shoulders that are stuck in a forward position and a closed chest.
Staying in this position overstretches and weakens the muscles between our shoulder blades (known as the rhomboid muscles), which are the main muscles responsible for maintaining an upright posture. The muscles that run along the sides of our spine (known as the erector spinae muscles) are also affected in this way.
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Unhappy hips
Prolonged sitting will also cause weak and tight gluteal muscles, which can contribute to pain and/or discomfort in our buttock area. For some, this can cause referred pain down the leg, commonly known as sciatica.
Other common WRMSDs that can occur from prolonged sitting include bulging or herniated discs, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, and elbow tendinitis.
Clearly, prolonged sitting can have a significant negative impact on our bodies, causing various muscle imbalances throughout the body that can lead to tightness in some muscles and weakness in others.
If left untreated, these imbalances will eventually backfire, causing limitations and restrictions of movement in all the joints in our neck, back and hips.
Steps to avoid tech neck include:
- Take a break: Taking regular breaks from our workstations will help mitigate the effects of prolonged sitting. Applying the Pomodoro technique offers an effective tool for organizing your workday. The technique was developed to encourage a beneficial work-to-break ratio, recommending a 5-minute break after every 25 minutes of work. After four Pomodoros (two hours), take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
- Get it like this: Other tools that can help improve our posture at the office include ergonomically designed chairs, back support cushions, height-adjustable computer stands and desks, laptop stands, keyboard and mouse pads with wrist support, and more. These devices help mitigate the side effects of prolonged sitting.
- Exercise at the office: Another easy, accessible and effective tool at our disposal to reduce WRMSDs involves performing simple but effective stretches and exercises in your workplace to encourage body movement.
This approach is quick and convenient, allowing you to move your body without leaving the office to go to the gym. Ideal options include:
- The neck is straining
- Seated spinal twist
- Fold forward
- Squats from the bottom up
- Seated glute stretch
With Dr. Bianca Marais (Btech) (MHSc), Sports and Family Chiropractor
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sports or health and fitness, Pedro is most likely out training for his next marathon or ultramarathon. He has worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms specialist. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
