Many office workers perform the same physical movements every day. Over time this can contribute to pain, injuries and cumulative trauma disorders. These include numbness, decreased joint motion, swelling, burning, pain, aching, weakness, tingling and cracking or popping of joints. The dangers of sitting for too long affect not only our bodies but also our mindset.
It a shame our work and lifestyle demands require us to sit in one place for a long period of time! However, it is fabulous that more organisations every year have committed to offering mind & body classes.
Strong evidence shows that good employee health and wellbeing boosts organisational health.
There are numerous reasons why investing in programs to enhance worker health and wellbeing makes good business sense. Put simply: healthy workers = healthy organisations = healthy business performance.
Employers who run health and wellbeing programs do so because they want to:
- Improve work performance and productivity
- Reduce costs associated with absenteeism, presenteeism, disability and workers’ compensation
- Improve the culture of the organisation and retain existing employees
- Improve the organisation’s image, attract talented employees
I see clients time and time again who sit at a desk for work complaining the same symptoms including: stiff necks, shoulder issues and lower back pain.
Here are a few simple tips that can be repeated throughout the day to nurture your body to promote flexibility and suppleness and to give your mind its optimal chance to be operating at its best.
- Get up every hour and walk around, even if that its going to the bathroom or refilling your water bottle or making yourself a herbal tea- drinking heaps of water is the KEY to optimal brain function
- Adjust your posture frequently, do anything to move those limbs differently!
- Invest in Fusion Yoga & Pilates instructional cards for OFFICE WORKERS, 40 specifically selected poses and movements to help stimulate the mind and activate the body while at work. There are poses to assist your flexibility, endurance, strength, stamina and mental alertness. On sale for $25!!
- Neck Stretches; simply drop your right ear to your right shoulder and allow your right shoulder to relax down. BREATHE. And repeat of the other side. This is soooo good, immediately satisfaction; like a mini self massage.
- Do a few pelvic tilts while sitting at your desk to release stiffness in your lower back. To do this, draw your pubic bone towards your navel and then push your pubic bone away from your navel. This simple swaying movement can turn into mini circles in one direction and then back in the opposite direction- feel the difference?! Haaaaaaa!!