5 Ways To Deal With Problem Of Long Working Hours

Are long hours of work wreaking a havoc on your spinal health? Have you recently started experiencing pain in your neck and shoulders while sitting for long hours at your work desk? This is a growing concern among a lot of corporate employees.Researchers have proved that long hours of uninterrupted sitting may lead to a number of health complications. Constantly sitting for eight hours or longer, in a long run, may result in postural problems like disc damage, strained neck, swayed back, etc.

While corporate offices are adapting different methods to make ergonomic changes in their seating arrangements to minimise the health risks of sitting for long hours, there are other things that you can also do to ease the strain. Improving your sitting position to maintain an upright posture without crouching forward can help. Taking a five minutes stroll after every hour can also work for you.

Here are 5 problems associated with long hours of sitting at your desk and 5 ways you can counteract their negative effects.

Sitting Health Hazards

* Cardiovascular complications

Sitting for long hours can exert extra pressure on your systems. It can lead to high blood pressure and increased levels of blood sugar and blood cholesterol. These conditions cause cardiovascular complications.

* Risk of muscle degeneration

Sedentary lifestyle can lead to people developing conditions like hyper lordosis, tight hips and lump glutes.

* Leg disorders

Long hours of sitting means minimised movement of your legs. This has an adverse impact on the blood flow in the body and can cause fluid to puddle in the legs. This can lead to serious conditions like deep vein thrombosis, atherosclerosis, etc.

* Imbalances in spinal structure

Long hours of sitting can cause imbalances in the spinal structure leading to disc damage, inflexible spine, and strained neck. Since most of us work on computers and the posture includes stretching out the arms for typing, in a longer run, you can experience sore shoulders and back.

* Increased stress level

When your muscles are in motion, they trigger the release of mood enhancing hormones. There is fresh supply of blood and oxygen to the brain which helps relax your nerves. Therefore, when a person sits for long hours, it can lead to increased stress levels.

Solution

* Practice Yoga

Getting into the habit of practicing yoga daily can help you ease up your muscles and improve blood circulation in the body. Performing yoga in the morning or evening hours can be beneficial.

* Body Stretching

Stretch your legs and arms every hour while at office. One of the ways to do this is by simply getting up from your chair and bending forward to touch the tip of your toes with the tip of your fingers. When you are at home, stretch hip flexors every morning or evening for five minutes per side.

* Regular stroll

For every hour you sit, take a stroll for five minutes. Make sure that you take small breaks from your work instead of working at a stretch. Taking a stroll will help improve blood circulation.

* Neck Exercise

If you are sitting for long hours, you may start experiencing strain on your neck. To avoid this you can do a simple neck exercise. Sit straight and drop your head slowly to one side, taking ear towards the shoulder. Make sure you feel the stretch. Start from your left side and repeat on the right side. Perform this daily for 5 minutes to ease the muscle tension on your neck.

* Be active outside of your work hours or day

Physical activity can counteract the negative effects of sitting for long hours. While getting up during the day, going for walks, and stretching can make a difference, there is no replacement for moving and strengthening your body through exercise. Taking up 30 minutes of cardio or moderate intensity aerobics can help. However, even if you are able to manage only 10-15 minutes a day, you can reap benefits by being consistent with it for at least 5 days every week.