How to Stay Healthy at Your Desk

By Alexis Mills

It's clear to everyone at this point that sitting at your desk or in general has many negative side effects. Unfortunately, there are millions of us who work at jobs where you are sitting at a desk for the majority of your day. For those people, here are some tips to stay healthy when you are at your desk for long periods of time.

Maintain Strong Posture 

When you are sitting in the same position all day, it's normal to start to get achy and tired. To keep proper posture while sitting starts with the chair you are using. If you don't control the chair you use at work and it isn't offering you the support you need, there are many seat cushions and covers that you can purchase to support your posture.

Commit to Drinking More Water 

Everyone knows the health benefits of drinking water and how much our body needs it to work properly. By bringing a reusable water bottle with you to work and keeping it with you throughout the day, it will force you to consistently stay properly hydrated. This will increase your energy throughout the day and force you to move more because of extra trips to the bathroom!

Take Screen Breaks

Staring at a computer screen all day long will leave your eyes craving a break. There are some simple tasks you can do to avoid this by taking a break every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. These small increments of breaks throughout the day will give your eyes a chance to relax.

Stretch at Your Desk 

When your days are filled with little movements it has a serious effect on your mental and physical health. For a few minutes each hour, do a light body exercise or stretches that you can do at your desk. This helps your body feel activated throughout the day and avoid tensing up. It will also improve nutrient supply to the muscles and tissues of the body.

Pack Your Lunch

While packing your lunch takes prepping, it makes it a lot easier to eat a balanced diet. Instead of eating out every day for lunch, save your health and your wallet and pack your lunch at least a few times a week. Eating a diet filled with healthier whole foods rather than processed foods makes all the difference to your health and how you feel.

Having a full-time office job or a job that requires you to be at the computer for long periods of time does not have to destroy your health. While it can be hard to keep your focus on your health while you are trying to be productive, through some simple daily habits you can stay on task without sacrificing your physical or mental health.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Flowery Branch, Ga.