Get up, Stand up!
The latest workplace ergonomics fad is the adjustable stand up desk.
All in all this has been a wonderful upgrade to the standard workstation. There are a still a couple important elements to keep in mind.
Whether you're sitting or standing, the placement of everything is still key for sustained postural mechanics. The relation of the monitor to eye level, mouse to elbow and wrist, chair support and height of hips to feet on the ground, are all key components. To prevent kyphotic curling of the spine, rounding of the shoulders, tilting of the head, tightening in the hips, and other negative affects on the joints, be sure your setup closely resembles the pictures below.
Common poor postural positions like the two pictures below, can lead to pain in the neck, shoulders, back, hips and even knees. If you're already feeling constant soreness in any of these body parts, addressing your postural positions throughout your workday is just as important as the corrective stretches and strengthening exercises you do when exercising.
*Note how neither of the above postures show a spine stacked in a plumbline as those pictures above*
The second, though perhaps more important factor to remember is that the body is not made to do one thing, for a sustained period of time. Just as bad as sitting all day is standing in one place all day! The body must MOVE!
Find a rhythm that works for you. If you prefer sitting at your desk then get up during phone calls or do some standing stretches after a trip to the bathroom. If you decide to take those seven flights of stairs, great! Just be sure to stretch your hips and quads before sitting again.
If you're convinced you'd rather stand all day because it burns more calories, get the body moving with some leg and upper body stretches. Better yet, I'm designing 5 minute segments for you to break up your day. Just some fairly mild movements and stretches you can do while still reading an email or scanning your work and without causing too much distraction to those around you. Who knows maybe you'll get your office in on the fun. Give them a try. It will probably be one of the nicest 5 minutes of your workday.
Be sure to check back here or subscribe to my YouTube Channel to get updated 5 minute segments to continue to enhance your workdays! You can also find me on Instagram. Happy Moving!
#workplacePilates #Pilatesbasedmovement #pilatesinalhambra #pilatescommunity #functionaltraining #pilatestip #functionalfitness #fitnessatwork #stretchesatwork #stretching #pilatesatwork #pilatesinstructor #posture #breathing #mobility #standingpilates #painmanagement #bodyalignment #mindbodyfitness #pilatesblog