BoomerGirl Diary

By 10:30 in the morning do you find yourself with a tight and achy neck and shoulders?

Is your lower back stiff and sore? Do you often have a stress/tension headache by the end of the day — even if your day wasn’t particularly stressful? These issues are often caused by poor ergonomics at the work station and poor postural habits coupled with sitting in one place for too long.

Surprise! Prevention is — once again — the key. Besides the necessary corrections to your work station’s ergonomic layout, there are several movement patterns and stretches that can be a great help in warding off the above mentioned problems — giving you more energy and a happier body at the end of your work day.

Sitting is the hardest — most load bearing — position for our low backs. Yes, even harder than standing because the pelvis and spinal column are planted, i.e., “in a loaded” position when seated, therefore transferring much of the work of spinal column and its accompanying stabilizing muscles down to the low back (lumbar) area of the spine.

Your lower body (waist down) gets de—oxygenated when in a sitting position for longer than 30 minutes. Solution? Get up and move! Set a timer for 30 minutes, get up and walk around for 2 minutes — or dance to that song that’s been stuck in your head since yesterday (personally, dancing = much more fun), then stretch your neck, shoulders, back and hands, and hydrate (drink cold water!). Another great preventative tool is to try to do some of your work in a standing position. Do you have a high counter where you could set up some of your work? Is your computer portable enough for you to use in a standing position? It may feel strange at first, but your back will love it.

Here’s the next challenge. Homework! Stronger abdominals (core muscles) = better posture = decreased load on the lower back.

Train your core muscles at least three days a week. Planks exercises are one of the best choices. If you are a beginner, start with planks just from the knees. As you get stronger, transition to full body planks.

Another highly recommended movement for improving your core — especially the back stabilizers — are quadruped extensions. Again, start slowly, build strength gradually by increasing repetitions and length of time you hold the extension.

Remember to warm up before and stretch after you work out.

So, let’s review our three part journey to a happier, healthier, more energized you:

Part 1: Correct the ergonomic problems with your work station

Part 2: Schedule move, stretch and hydrate breaks every 30 minutes

Part 3: Homework — core strengthening exercises — three times per week.

Add them all up and you will feel better during and after your work day.

Wishing you well!

Always check with your physician before beginning a new exercise program.