How to stay healthy in a job that may be hurting you!

Most of us have jobs that force us to stay in unnatural positions for long periods of time.  Whether you sit all day, stand all day, or squint at a computer screen you know that our jobs can be quite damaging to our bodies.  While I can't convince your bosses to let you work less or take more vacation time I can give you a couple of pointers to help reduce the everyday pains caused by your job! (and no, I can't make the annoying coworker vanish!)

DO YOU SIT ALL DAY LONG? 

It's official: Sitting too much is bad for you!! Not only does it place pressure on the low back and tailbone, causing pain and even sciatic nerve trouble for some women, but two recent studies also found that the more time people spend on their butts each day, the more likely they are to die of cancer or heart disease.  Sitting at a computer all day also tends to cause people to hunch their shoulders causing poor posture and a tense upper back.


How to stay healthy: The way to ward off both back strain and the scarier, more serious health effects of sitting is fairly simple.  For five minutes every hour, get up and do something - take a bathroom break or go outside for a lap or two around the block.  If low-back pain is an issue for you, add in some stretches too, at least once every couple of hours.  One easy one is to prop the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other, bend over and hold.  To stretch the shoulders place your hands on a door frame and lean forward.  Plus, the more active you can be during your off hours, the better it will be for your health.

DO YOU TAKE CARE OF KIDS?
Congratulations on the calories you're burning! With all the carrying and stroller-pushing, moms and dads of young kids often have strong legs and practically ripped arms. But many of them also end up with soreness and tightness of the low back and shoulders.

How to stay healthy:
Make sure you lift with the legs when you pick up your child, like how you'd lift anything else that's heavy, especially if he's all the way down on the ground.  And if you're tall, get stroller-handle extenders.

DO YOU TYPE CONSTANTLY?
Spending 20 or more hours a week in front of a computer can put someone at risk of wrist injuries.

How to stay healthy: "When you're typing, keep your wrists in a neutral position," says John Lloyd, Ph.D., a certified ergonomist in South Florida — never rest them on your desk or hold them up too high. "Ideally, your forearms should be supported on armrests." Taking frequent breaks from your keyboard, at least a few minutes each hour, will help too.

DO YOU STAND FOR HOURS ON END? (LIKE ME!)

On the positive side, your job is more active than someone who's stuck at a desk, so you've got some built-in protection against heart disease and obesity. That said, anyone who's ever walked around an amusement park or museum for a day knows that after several hours on your feet, your legs just hurt.

How to stay healthy: It seems counterintuitive, but after a long day of putting pressure on your legs and feet, the smartest thing to do is move them.  Fifteen minutes of brisk walking a day will soothe leg fatigue and reduce swelling.  Who knew?!

ARE YOU SUPER-STRESSED?

Most of us have some degree of stress in our lives and at our jobs, and that's fine — even exhilarating. Where things get ugly is if the pressure becomes chronic and your body and brain are constantly awash in stress hormones like norepinephrine and cortisol. That can lead to extra belly fat, and increased blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

How to stay healthy: Is there a magic "pill" for stress? Some experts say yes, and that it's exercise — physical activity can stop the production of cortisol and get rid of tension held in your muscles. Though any kind of physical activity will work, intense cardio like jogging or stair climbing may work best. One study from the University of Missouri in Columbia found that women who ran for 30 minutes felt less stress and anxiety than those who did something a little easier.  Research also shows that listening to music can help our mental and physical state.  It can help lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate by distracting the brains from stress.

Hopefully some of these pointers will help make your work day just a little less painful!

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