Do any of the following symptoms affect you?

Your thighs are aching and you have been sitting for barely an hour, particularly the undersides – maybe even some numbness.

No matter what way you sit you can’t find comfort and your buttocks are really uncomfortable, continually shuffling around provides temporary relief, yet it never lasts for long and you soon seem to be back where you started.

Your lower back appears to be in constant pain and you attempt to relieve this by changing position in your chair, the trouble is any relief is temporary and that nagging back pain
soon returns.

Your shoulders and neck are often stiff, rigid even and the lack of movement brings on pain because the muscles supporting these parts of your body are stressed and tired. And this tends to happen almost daily as you work, especially on a tight deadline.

Arms and wrists flag very quickly especially when using a mouse intensively, you are concerned you may end up with RSI (repetitive stress injury) or carpal tunnel problems if it isn’t sorted out soon.

All of the above conditions are all too common for people working with computers regularly and many will put them down to tiredness, stress and pressure of work, which are actually the symptoms of the problems.

This free downloadable report (no opt-in needed), examines these common problems, what causes them and how to find a solution. Get hold of 5 Secret for Solving Office Chair Pain and Discomfort now.

The article pinpoints 5 key areas you need to be mindful of.

First, there is eye strain and this is something which can affect you long before you reach 40.

Staring at a computer screen for hours on end is not a good idea. Some simple exercises or maybe glasses will definitely help, as well as changing work habits.

Next there is Spondylosis both cervical and lumbar, it may be difficult to pronounce, simply put it means wear and tear on your vertebrae, resulting in pain, numbness or worse. The likelihood of this becoming a problem definitely increases with age.

It’s vital to be aware of the dangers, frequent exercise and muscle strengthening is advisable to cut down the chance of it developing.

Then there is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which is probably better known. It affects the wrists and lower arms and the chief causes are constant mousing and hammering away at the keyboard.

I would add that very often Carpal Tunnel problems may be confused with muscle trigger points. It’s amazing how a tight muscle in one part of your body can cause pain and discomfort in another seemingly unrelated area. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook is highly recommended for self diagnosis and relief.

Moving on, next is mental stress and this can also affect any age. You need to be aware of it, learn how to relax and not let it get the better of you.

Finally there is indigestion and weight gain. All that sitting every day is not a good thing, so daily exercise and a good nutritious diet are key for keeping things in check.

Here’s the link to the full article.

The EHS article makes some interesting statistical points drawing on a UK survey conducted by The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and its recommended advice:

• The UK survey found 57% of participants suffer with backache
• The survey also discovered only 36% of people feel their employer provides them with a comfortable office chair
• Taking short breaks away from the workstation helps relieve strain
• People need to move more frequently during the day, getting out of your chair and walking burns 5 times the calories than when sitting

In my earlier article I draw attention to these additional points:

• Our bodies are designed for movement, sitting in a static posture for hours is unhealthy and bad
• As we get older these issues become more noticeable and significant
• Pain is nature’s way of telling you something isn’t right and it’s time to act and change the cause of it
• Getting out of your office seat frequently and doing some light exercise is vital
• Investing in a quality office chair is one the best moves you can make for you posture, health and productivity.

Here’s where you can find the EHS Today article as well as my recent article on the significance of variation and movement in the office explaining what you need to do to keep your body healthy at work.

Just think of all the infinite changes in position your body is able to make. Then you’ll realize variation in movement is what it is designed for.

So when you spend long hours fixed in the same position in a poor computer chair, you’re completely going against what your body is made for, and this is not good. In reality, you do move constantly, even when sitting in a bad chair.

The problem is, it isn’t supporting you properly. Even when sleeping at night, you will likely move several times during the night. Why is it so important to move and be correctly supported when sitting?

When we’re young, it doesn’t seem too important. Our body seems to be able to quickly recover. However, as we get older, things change and recovery of posture takes longer. If you ignore it for too long, the consequences can be quite serious.

You need only observe other people to see this. I recently saw a man, probably in his 60s, who had no movement in the vertebrae in his neck. The bones were fused together and as a consequence, his head was permanently pointing downwards.

He needed to read a notice board and the only way he could do it was to lean back about 30 degrees so he could read it. Don’t let something like this happen to you.

First, pay attention to pain. It’s your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right. So if you have neck pain, for instance, ask yourself why.

Chances are, you’ve been sitting in the same unhealthy posture for far too long. Get up and take a stretch, do a few simple exercises to get things moving again.

Second, if you have a crappy chair and you find pain and discomfort issues are getting worse, maybe it’s time for a change.

A good quality office chair is one of the best investments you can make for your body and healthy back support. So rather than skimping and buying another cheap task chair, think about the benefits you will gain by opting for quality. Here’s a quick summary of some excellent office chairs designed to support you properly and remain comfortable when working long hours

“When you reach 50 and wake up in the morning and nothing is hurting, you’re dead.”

I can tell you he was right.

It’s true for baby boomers too because we’re just not getting any younger, in fact it’s estimated that 7900 people a day in the US turn 60. Our bodies have spent too many years in the same posture, probably a poor one at that. So, it makes good sense to start taking care of things a bit better.

Office chairs have improved in quality enormously in the past 20 years. Nonetheless, some will have spent a good number of years before this sitting in a lot of pretty awful chairs and many still do so by buying $100 desk chairs which continue to quietly inflict pain and suffering.

All of this adds up to wear and tear on our bodies and so we start to develop aches and pains, back issues, neck and shoulder pain, wrist and lower arm troubles—maybe nothing major yet; however, they are all warning signs.

Much like a car, if you don’t keep it serviced, it will develop all kinds of problems. So too will you. As the years go by, the more important this becomes.

The Right Tool for the Job

If you still spend a good part of the day sitting at your computer at work, it’s more important than ever that you give your body the best possible support and comfort.

A good, well-designed office chair with the right functions makes comfortable working all day possible. Here’s where you will find a quick summary of suitable chairs to investigate, and you may even want to be more adventurous and consider a kneeling chair. Many people swear by them as a great alternative to a conventional seat.

Look after your body it’s the only one you’ve got.

So what exactly makes a kneeling chair different?

The main advantage of this type of seat is it places your body in a much more open posture. It opens up the area between your thighs and upper body so your muscles and internal organs don’t get cramped as they can in an office chair.

Most of your weight is actually carried on your shins. Whilst your bottom supports some of your weight as well, it carries far less than a normal chair and consequently removes thigh and upper-leg pain.

Sitting in this way helps build core muscle strength. When you sit in a kneeling chair, you use the core muscles located in the lower back and front due to the way you are sitting. This is a good thing because the more you sit in this way, the stronger these muscles become.

Unfortunately, a conventional chair tends to leave these muscles largely unsupported, and over time they lose their tone and become flabby, often increasing back pain and general discomfort as a result.

Knee sitting encourages movement and variation in posture while you are sitting and this is beneficial because when you spend time in a kneeling chair, it becomes very easy to adopt different sitting postures which help to keep the body toned.

This is a good thing because bodies aren’t designed to be static, and pain is nature’s way of telling us it’s time to move. The most obvious way to use a kneeling chair is with both shins on the lower pad.

And yet, it’s really quick and easy to vary your position by placing one foot on the floor and leave one shin on the pad. It’s also very simple to get in and out of the chair, you literally walk in and out of it.

Here are some of the different ways of sitting in a kneeling chair as well as seeing whether a kneeling chair is right for you and the benefits it can bring you.

Nonetheless it raises some interesting points and as it concludes perhaps the best way to sit is in a half standing position. I thought I would take a look at the best way of doing this.

Sit stand desking has long been commonplace in Europe, especially the Nordic countries and yet the US has never really embraced the concept. Is this likely to change?

The great advantage of sit stand desking is it allows users to quickly and easily alter their working posture. So if you are fed up with sitting because your back is aching, just alter the height of your desk and stand working for a while.

Alternatively you can work somewhere in between in a semi-perched position using something like HÅG’s Capisco chair.

It helps people work more healthily by improving mobility and circulation as well as curing bad habits like slouching.

So how do sit stand desks work?

At their most basic level there is set up height adjustable desking. As the name suggests it’s possible to vary the height of the desk when you assemble it or set it up. However, once built it’s likely you wouldn’t alter it again as it would be too much hassle.

You would need to clear the desk and adjust the leg height so in reality this type of desk isn’t truly fully height adjustable.

The most common form of sit stand desk is one where the height is manually adjusted either by a crank handle or a gas spring lift mechanism. This does allow users to easily alter the work height frequently without major upheaval.

The most sophisticated version is the electrically height adjustable sit stand desk. At the press of a button users can quickly and easily raise and lower the desk work surface.

Clearly this is the best option, unfortunately the big downside is price and even an entry level model is likely to be around $1000. Some electric height adjustable tables may be a little cheaper although they would only really be suitable for laptop use.

For this reason progress towards mainstream use of sit stand desking in the US is likely to be slow, although there is definitely more and more interest from designers, architects and other specialist users.

Ultimately price is likely to continue to be the main stumbling block to the wider acceptance of adjustable desks. The nature of the product means the inclusion of expensive components is still necessary, maybe the breakthrough will come from the far east.

Swopper at Desk

The Via Swopper stool is a fascinating alternative to the normal office chair we are all familiar with. It certainly looks kind of odd and yet is surprisingly effective, especially for anyone who finds a conventional office seat challenging.

What exactly is it and how does the Swopper work? Initially it looks rather like a bar stool, however there is a lot more to it than that.

In reality it is a highly engineered German made ergonomic stool with a heavy duty spring around a height adjustable gas lift which connects to its well padded seat. By adjusting the spring’s tension you control how much movement it has.

What you are doing is using your body weight to make the seat pivot forwards at an angle moving as you move.

So how is it beneficial for your working comfort? First, you need to adjust the stool height and spring tension to suit your personal preference and this is easy and simple to do.

Then as you use the Swopper it actively engages your body’s core and back muscles helping you use them to control your sitting position. It’s all very simple to do and once you have adjusted the height and tension it actively encourages healthy body movement and muscle use keeping you in an active sitting position.

Are there any drawbacks to it? The main challenge may well be the need to build your core muscle tone which will likely take a few weeks. To begin with it’s going to be best to retain your existing office chair and use the Swopper for short spells and gradually build the length of time in it over a period of several days.

If you like to recline a lot in your chair then it won’t be a good choice as it is not intended to be used this way. Still, you can always stand up and stretch or take a walk around the office.

What about its advantages? The main benefit with a Swopper is there are no ongoing adjustments once you have set up the height and spring tension, although you may want to fine tune these initially.

It will help you get toned up and discover muscles you didn’t even know existed.

It has a neat compact footprint and can be stored quickly and easily under your desk or in a corner somewhere when not in use.

Want to know more? Here’s a review of the Swopper stool as well as an article on the benefits of this kind of ergonomic office stool.

This is bad because when you finally do go to move out of your seat you find you are as stiff as a board and feel a bit like a half open Swiss army knife which your painful back and tired muscles swiftly signal as soon as you try to get up.

If this sounds like you then you need to start taking better care of your body before developing chronic posture problems, it’s easy enough all it needs is to replace some of these bad habits with some good ones.

Here’s a 3 point checklist of some good habits to develop.

Good Habit No: 1 – Taking Regular Breaks

The human body is made to move it simply isn’t designed to remain in the same position for hours on end so become conscious of your body and listen to what it is telling you. Pain is a signal from the brain alerting you to something which needs fixing.

Make sure you get out of your chair regularly during the day, take a walk around the office grab a coffee or tea, and if possible try and get a minute outdoors and take some deep invigorating breaths of fresh air it will boost your energy and concentration levels. And if you work from home a quick stroll in the garden a few times a day will help clear the mind and re-charge your mental batteries.

Good Habit No: 2 Stretch And Move While You Are Working

Make a point of stretching frequently while in your chair, something as simple as stretching your arms and legs will aid circulation and muscle tone. If your chair is inflexible and you can’t do this easily and has you fixed like a rusted hinge give serious consideration to replacing it, here is a quick summary of user friendly desk chairs worth checking out.

Good Habit No: 3 Doing Regular Simple Exercises Throughout The Day

Regular exercises throughout the day offer a huge benefit for your well being and working comfort. Ideally exercise every half hour certainly on the hour as a minimum, here are some simple office exercise routines for keeping neck, back shoulders and legs toned and supple.

So there you have it make a point of developing these good working habits as part of your daily work routine so they become second nature to you, movement is the key to keeping your body in shape and mind alert.

Yes the humble telephone incorrectly used is capable of creating a lot of neck problems both now and in the future.

How does this happen? You see it all the time, people trying to take calls and write at the same time, what do they do? They wedge the phone between their ear and shoulder and contort their neck into a horribly unnatural position, this places excessive strain on the neck and shoulder muscles as well as the vertebrae in the neck.

Invariably people always take calls on the same side so they don’t even give their neck a chance to balance up the distortion this creates.

And the problem has got worse as mobiles are more commonplace and smaller than ever and so encourage this bad habit.

At least with a hard wired office phone it is quick and natural to switch to speakerphone and make writing notes and taking the call easier, although for confidentiality and annoying colleagues nearby in a large office this isn’t always practical.

Fortunately many modern mobiles let you take calls via a speaker and they nearly all come with a cheap earpiece and microphone so there really isn’t any excuse for sitting screwed up in your office chair cradling your phone and trying to take notes at the same time.

And if the supplied earpiece and mic are really poor replacing them with a better quality headset with built in microphone won’t cost you that much.

So, if you are a neck cradler when taking calls you need to break the habit and consciously become aware of when you are abusing your body like this. Fortunately if you do it frequently enough your body will tell you by inflicting a good dose of neck pain on you.

Break the habit now before you do any lasting damage and start running up chiropractor’s bills, for as the years go by you’ll be glad you did.