Sit Less, Move More

IT'S TIME TO TAKE A STAND FOR YOUR HEALTH!

 

Did you know?

Living a sedentary lifestyle can be dangerous to your health with studies showing it can increase the risk of being overweight, developing type 2 diabetes or heart disease, depression and anxiety. Those who move around more during the day or stand at work have a lower risk of early death than our standard desk workers.  

The Australian Health Survey (2011-12) results showed that 60% of Australian adults do less than the recommended 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per day, with almost 70% of Australian’s being classed as sedentary or having low levels of physical activity.

 

Is sitting really the new smoking?

Various studies have found evidence that sitting for an hour watching TV cuts 22 minutes off our life span. This was compared to another study finding that per cigarette, smokers cut 11 minutes off their lives.

 

But, what if I exercise?

Unfortunately, just because you go for a run or hit the gym on a daily basis, it doesn’t counter the inactivity.

So what can I do?

Break up the sitting at work! You can do this implementing regular movements strategies into your work day:

• Walk or cycle to work and leave the car at home
• For longer trips, park the car a reasonable distance from work or the train station and walk/cycle the rest of the way
• Get off a stop early on the train/tram/bus
• Take the stairs instead of taking the elevator
• Get up regularly (every 30 mins or so) to take a walk around the office, climb a couple of flights of stairs
• Drink more water – not only is this better for your health but will increase your visits to the water cooler and bathroom
• Walk over and talk to colleagues instead of emailing
• Organise walking meetings
• Take your lunch outside instead and enjoy a short walk on your lunch break

Office Ergonomics

If you work 40 hour weeks - you spend 25% of your week sitting!

Now is the time to really think about your Ergonimic set up... before it starts becoming an issue!

Ergonomics is the study of the workplace equipment design or how to arrange and design devices, machines, or workspace so that people and things interact safely and efficiently.

If you work at a desk all day, you should really be thinking about your ergonomics. The typical 9-5 desk workers spend a quarter of their week sitting. Therefore it is important to recognise ergonomic issues that may affect the health, safety and well-being of people working in offices.

If your work station is not set up with ergonomic considerations in mind, you could be subject to potential occupational overuse injuries and musculoskeletal disorders. Examples of these are postural complaints like neck pain, headaches and low back pain, overuse injuries to the elbow and wrist and neck.

The work station should be set up in a way that requires minimal to no twisting of the head or body, with the chair, computer screen, key board, mouse places comfortably and conveniently for the worker. Lighting is also relevant as glare or reflections on the screen may cause a worker to adopt an awkward posture than can cause a postural strain if maintained over a prolonged period.

SO WHAT’S CORRECT?

Chair height: The height of the chair should allow forearms and hands to be just slightly above the desk, horizontal to the key board with no bend to the wrist. The chair should have many adjustable features such as the seat height, back support height, back tilt, seat pan in and out, arm rests and a stable base.

Foot rest: If your feet are dangling off the floor, you may need a foot rest or a lower desk. When your feet don’t touch the floor, pressure can build up behind the knees and under the thighs, causing pinching of blood vessels or nerves and result in pins and needles in the lower legs and swelling in the ankles and feet.

Height adjustable worktop: These desks are easy to work with because they allow the correct set up to be achieved without the use of foot stool or monitor risers. As mentioned, no matter if you are sitting or standing, your elbows and forearms should be slightly higher than the desk.

Back rest: The back rest should support your entire spine and recline from vertical 10-20 degrees. This will encourage you to sit upright and prevent slumping in your seat, thereby minimising risk of low back pain.

Seat depth: There should be a small gap between the back of your knees and the end of the seat. If not, may need a different chair with a shorter bottom cushion.

Arm rest: If your chair has arm rests, adjust them so they support your forearms when they sit at a right angle to your body.

Computer monitor: Your monitor should be directly in front of you within an arm’s length, with the top 1/3 of screen in line with your eyes. If you have more than 1 monitor, it should be placed in front of you depending on use. For example if you have 2 monitors, used at a 70:30 split, the former should be in 70% of your line of vision. This minimises the twisting of the head and neck. Tension in the head and neck can lead to head aches and muscle tension around the neck and shoulders.

Mouse position: The wrist position should be neutral with the mouse adjacent to the key board, not with the arm out stretched.

Keyboard: The keyboard should be placed on the desk so that the forearms have enough support and there is no bend to the wrist.  

Document placement: A document holder should be at the same distance away and height as the monitor. If you use more frequently than the monitor itself, the document holder should be directly in front of you with the monitor to the side.

Lighting: Lighting is essential but must also be controlled. Lighting should be over head and behind the operator. Natural light sources should be controlled with blinds, sun shades or tint to the windows.

Desktop Accessories: Avoid reaching or twisting eg phone, reference material. Place equipment in accessible places. If you are constantly on the phone, use a head set is possible to minimise the risk of neck and shoulder pain from holding a phone to your ear. 

Desk Zones: Commonly used desk equipment (keyboard, mouse) should be placed within easy reach (primary zone). The less frequently used equipment should be placed in the secondary zone, accessed with an outstretched arm.further away from the worker.

Below are visual guides provided by Corporate Work Health Australia on how to properly set up for work station. 

Choosing the Right School Bag

How To Guide: Choosing the Correct School Bag for your Child

DID YOU KNOW: Australian studies have found that poor fitting backpacks that are heavily loaded can lead to postural problems causing neck and back pain in children, which could lead to permanent spinal damage in later life?

Back pain is more frequently a condition we associate with growing older, but there Is a growing number of children reporting back pain and discomfort. Risks that can be involved in carrying a heavy or incorrectly fitted school bag include:

• Muscle strain
• Distortion of the natural ‘S’ curve of the spine
• Rounding of the shoulders

Why not take the proactive step to protecting your child’s spinal health?

Here are some easy steps and handy tips for you to follow to ensure your child’s school bag is properly fitted:

CHOOSE THE RIGHT BACK PACK:

• A light weight bag so it doesn’t add extra weight and load
• Appropriate for your child’s size – don’t choose one that they will ‘grow into’. However, you may need to re-adjust the shoulder straps as your child grows
• A padded back providing comfort and back support that adjusts to the back of your child. The padding also ensures sharp objects don’t poke through
• Two, wide adjustable shoulder straps and a waist belt to allow weight to be distributed more evenly across the body. A chest strap may further allow this
• Multiple compartments for a more even distribution of weight

HOW TO FIT YOUR SCHOOL BAG:

• The bottom of the bag should sit on or just below your child’s hips, but not too low that it hangs over their buttocks
• The top of the back pack should sit no more than 3cm higher than their shoulders, so they can tilt their head back without hitting the top of the bag
• The back pack should be no wider than your child’s chest
• The shoulder straps should be tight enough that the bag is held against the torso, without digging into their underarms
• If the bag features a waist strap it should sit just below the bony part of your child’s waist. This allows some of the bags weight to be taken by the hips rather than the back and shoulders

HANDY TIPS WHEN PACKING YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL BAG:

• Plan ahead to limit your child’s load so they are not carrying more than what is needed
• Your child should never carry more than 10% of their body weight for an extended period of time
• They should always wear their bag over two shoulders. They should also be educated on the risks of musculoskeletal pain associated with wearing their bag slung over one shoulder
• Pack heavier items closest to the spine