Sitting Less at Work for Improved Musculoskeletal Health
There are so many external factors that determine whether or not we are able to achieve positive musculoskeletal outcomes. Pressures from our jobs, the need for maintenance of our properties, and so many other things that are outside of our bodies can influence how our musculoskeletal system operates and whether or not we are able to keep our muscles and bones healthy.
However, there are things that we can do to combat these external factors in our musculoskeletal health and ensure that we are promoting positive health regardless of what is occurring in our lives.
One of the main stressors of our musculoskeletal system that comes from outside of our bodies is our professional career. We would think that the most harm done to the musculoskeletal system would come in professional sectors like agriculture and manufacturing where there are high physical demands but in actuality, we see the most harm done in professions that require a lot of work on computers and time spent sitting down.
When we sit for long periods of time, our muscles and bones become stagnant and stiff. When we start moving after this long period of time spent sitting, the likelihood for a muscle strain or any other type of injury becomes way higher. Additionally, sitting for long periods of time can contribute to poor posture and malformations in the musculoskeletal system over time.
In order to combat the problems that can come about from our stagnation-promoting jobs, we can focus on taking breaks and moving around periodically throughout the day. A recent study shows that employees who focuses on sitting for just one less hour per day helped improve their musculoskeletal health by leaps and bounds with less pain and more flexibility.
In 2013, the American Medical Association made recommendations for employers to help their workers move around more throughout the day. This can help reduce the propensity to develop heart disease as well as chronic musculoskeletal pain that could result in losses of time at work. If you want to ensure that you are keeping your muscles and bones healthy, try to get moving throughout your work day and limit the amount of time spent sitting in one place.