Make Sitting at Your Desk a Great Core Exercise!

We all have to sit too much these days and we are seeing the effects on our bodies. Poor posture and prolonged sitting can cause neck, back, shoulder, wrist & hand, hip & knee problems. Strengthening the core - the muscles that support the spine - helps to prevent these muscular-skeletal problems and the poor posture that accelerates them.

Here are some tips on how to make sitting a dynamic exercise:

1. Practice sitting up tall, like you are being pulled by a string from the center of the top of your head and hold that position for as long as possible each hour you have to sit.

2. Set up your work station so that it promotes tall sitting, placing your computer screen at the height you would look at it when you are sitting tall.

3. Keep a ‘Swiss Ball’ -also known as a 'Theraball'- in your office to sit on for periods of the day. Use it during lunch to stretch & do a few exercises. (see pics below)

4. Drop a leg down as if in a lunge intermittently throughout the day. (see pics below)

5. Sit on your feet for short periods of time if you can tolerate this. You will know when to stop, as your feet will go numb.

6. Turn your chair around & straddle it. Every kid knows this is more comfortable!

7. Get up 2-3 times an hour, as you sit better when you first sit down.

Sitting doesn't have to ruin your body especially if you follow these tips. Don't forget to get 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week, eat right, get 7-8 hours of sleep & laugh a lot!

Here at Duffy & Bracken Physical Therapy we help our patients to stand tall & beautiful. We recommend the Theraball to our patients who are returning to work after spinal fusion, acute disc and lumbar surgery. We see a 95% success rate with patients who commit to our step-by-step back care program. Additionally, we have a Posture Training program available to all our patients. This program teaches you how to correct your posture and make the changes necessary to maintain good posture throughout your lifetime. Check out the program at www.duffyandbracken.com.

Ann Duffy, MA, PT

Owner of Duffy & Bracken Physical Therapy & Wellness