When our feet are balanced, our
movement, whether walking, running, or involved in some other locomotion, is
accomplished most efficiently. This means wear and tear is minimal, as is the
energy requirement. Any deviation from 'normal' regarding posture and movement
causes more wear and tear not only in the foot, but also in the ankle, knee,
hip, pelvis, spine, and other areas. It causes us to expend more energy per
movement, too - in some cases a significant amount more.
(Philip Maffetone)
Office life
Office life is
fraught will a variety of health problems that stem from air conditioning,
fluorescent lighting, flickering computer monitors, lack of fresh air and
apathy.
Sitting at a desk all day is
not good for your body and working at a
computer is worse; especially a laptop.
Computers
Computers are slow; they take ages to do things and repeatedly ask
irrelevant questions.
Frequently, they crash or hang for indeterminate periods.
As useful as they are, computers are a serious source of
stress and can lead to very poor posture which in turn
causes health problems.
If you work in an office… look around you.
There will be clear examples of people who have begun to shape their body to
accommodate the computer:
Turtle head
Tyrannosaurus hands
The hammock
Home computer users will probably exhibit the same physical traits if they do not pay attention to posture.
Turtle head
The upper back and neck will lean forward; they will seldom straighten the
spine.
Stooping is now more comfortable for them - the chin will jut forward like a
turtle.
Tyrannosaurus
hands
The elbows have drawn back toward the body and the hands will dangle.
Ready for typing, the arms no longer feel comfortable lengthening away from
the body.
The hammock
Rather than sit, the culprit will lay on their chair and lean
backwards away from the computer.
Experiment
Experiment for yourself.
This website is not telling you what to do; it simply challenges you to
explore
for yourself.
Whilst sitting, move your feet further away from the body...
The action of the hips and pelvis will affect the spine; you will lean
backwards.
Now, move the feet closer to the body until they are tucked beneath the
chair...
You will now slump forwards.
Find your optimal alignment and you will find sitting to be a comfortable
experience that
improves your health rather than diminishes it.
Healthy sitting #1
Begin with the buttocks.
Place them on the seat and find your 'sitting bones' - they may be further
back than you realised.
Do not cross your legs.
Place your feet flat on the floor (if you wear heels, remove them).
Your legs should form an angle of 90°or
more, and the lower part of your leg needs to be vertically aligned.
Alignment of the legs will affect your spine.
Healthy sitting #2
Do not rest on the back of the chair.
Let your spine relax and lift the ribcage off the waist
(although your chest should not lift).
This will tone your abdominal muscles and they will help to support your
spine.
Keep this posture and try slumping; you may find it difficult.
Think of your head reaching towards the ceiling.
Feel a connection from your sitting bones to the crown of your head, then
from your feet to the crown.
If you feel yourself slumping, work through the postural concerns again.
In time, it will become easier and more natural.
Resting
Find your good posture and then place your hands palm-upward on your thighs.
Rest them.
Let your shoulders and elbows relax.
Let the tension sink down your spine into the chair and finally to the
ground.
You & the computer
The computer serves you, not the other way around.
Sit so that the monitor and keyboard are directly in front of you.
Make sure that the monitor is not too close.
You should not have to
stretch to use the keyboard or twist your
torso to
any degree.
When you feel bored, tired, restless, stiff or have sore eyes - get up
and take a
break.
If your employer will not allow you to get up, find out your rights.
The more tired you get, the more you neglect your body and poor posture will
only tire you further.
Do not ignore your body; you need it beyond the
office.
Designed by geeks?
A keyboard, mouse and monitor are interfaces that enable you to use the
computer.
They were not designed with health in mind.
Be aware that your health must be your own concern.
Page created 2 September 2000