A desk job doesn't have to keep you down

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - April 15, 2019 - PRLog -- We know, sitting is the new smoking. Yet for those people who have the "desk job" it doesn't mean you are helpless to negative impacts of sitting for long periods of time like a sore back and neck, carpal tunnel, etc. In fact, it's not a stretch to say you can leave the office at night in better shape than you did in the morning. Actually, it probably is a stretch.

"There are any number of stretches you can do during the course of your work day that can benefit your overall condition and prevent you from getting too stiff while seated at your desk," said Dr. David Dwyer, president of Chiropractic Society of Rhode Island and a chiropractor at Toll Gate Chiropractic in Warwick and Wakefield, Rhode Island. "Of course, the biggest issue many of us face is we get so caught up in our work we forget to make standing and stretching a part of every working hour."

Dr. Dwyer recommends, at the very least, standing and walking as frequently as your job will allow. For example, instead of e-mailing a colleague to ask a question, make a point to walk to their desk or office and ask in person.

Regularly stretch at your desk. Try stretching your arms above your head, tilting your ears to your shoulders, and putting your hand on the back of your chair and twisting your torso.

Stretch your lower back by sitting forward in your chair and bringing one of your knees toward your chest. Use your hands to grab the back of your thigh and gently pull it toward you. Hold for 30 second and repeat with your other leg.
Try an upper arm stretch by lifting one arm and bending it behind your head. Place your other hand on the bent elbow to stretch your upper arm and shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat with your other arm.

"The important thing about these stretching exercises is that you do them during the course of your day. It really doesn't take much time and you don't have to leave your work station," said Dr. Dwyer.

In addition to stretches, Dr. Dwyer recommends bringing your lunch to work and budgeting some time to go out for a walk during your lunch break. If it's too cold or rainy, find a conference room or empty office to do more stretching, do calisthenics or even run in place.

"I've had patients who brought dumbbells or resistance bands and tubes to the office to get a workout and/or break up the monotony of sitting at a desk all day," said Dr. Dwyer. "Of course, you are there to work first. There are times when you might not be able to fit an activity in. It's probably a good idea to see a chiropractor to keep your spine aligned so that days where you can't move around as much do not have an impact."

To find a chiropractor in Rhode Island, you can go to http://richiro.org/.

About Chiropractic Society of Rhode Island (CSRI)
Founded in 1918, CSRI is one of the oldest chiropractic associations in the United States and represents almost half of the chiropractic physicians in the Ocean State. In addition to providing a regional voice for chiropractors in the business and legislative arenas, CSRI also helps educate the general public on the benefits of chiropractic. Those all-natural benefits can include relief from headaches, asthma, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel, colic, and stress, just to name a few. The Chiropractic Society of Rhode Island is located at 1272 West Main Road, Building 2, Middletown, RI 02842. For more information, call (401) 207-0700 or visit http://richiro.org/.