| It's a basic truth that the human body
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| | for them. These statistics can be very
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| wasn't made to sit still for too long. We
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| | frightening - especially for those of us
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| spent tens of thousands of years evolving
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| | who work with computers on a daily basis,
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| in an environment that required us to
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| | and could lose our livelihoods if we
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| move - to find shelter, to catch food,
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| | became unable to use them.
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| and to keep ourselves safe from
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| | HOW CAN WE AVOID BECOMING A STATISTIC?
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| predators. We've only been living
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| | Research has identified three things we
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| lifestyles that allow us to stay
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| | can do to help ensure we don't become one
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| sedentary for the lesser part of a
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| | of those statistics: posture, breaks and
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| hundred years - not nearly enough time
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| | stretching:
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| for our bodies to adapt to this new way
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| | Proper Posture
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| of living.
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| | If you don't already know how to sit
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| Not all of us make our livings sitting in
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| | properly at your computer, it's critical
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| front of a computer, of course. It is,
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| | that you learn quickly. Most companies
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| however, becoming more and more common -
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| | have someone in their Human Resources or
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| and many of us then go home and use our
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| | Training departments who's been trained
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| home computers to stay in contact with
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| | to set up workstations correctly, and
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| friends and family, study, or play games
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| | ensure you're sitting properly - ask them
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| - all of which adds up to a lot of
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| | for a workstation assessment. If you
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| sitting still!
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| | work from home, you can find an excellent
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| SO WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM?
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| | article on the subject at and a diagram
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| Our bodies, as mentioned above, were
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| | at or contact your local Occupational
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| built for movement. Movement encourages
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| | Health & Safety office for more
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| bloodflow - ensuring our cells are
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| | information.
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| supplied with oxygen and nutrients, and
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| | Regular Breaks
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| ensuring waste products are collected and
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| | Most of us know how important it is to
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| transported to where they can be
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| | take regular breaks. Simply stopping and
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| eliminated. Lack of movement leads to
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| | relaxing for a few moments every 20
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| cells being both starved of needed
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| | minutes can make a huge difference.
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| nutrients and left to wallow in waste
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| | Actually standing up and walking around
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| products. When this is then combined
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| | once an hour will do even more. It
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| with stress-induced muscle tension (which
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| | doesn't have to be far - just enough to
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| further constricts bloodflow) - or lots
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| | get you to move, and get your blood
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| of repetitive small movements - well, I'm
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| | flowing a little more freely. Set an
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| sure you can see where problems might
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| | alarm on your computer to go off
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| lie.
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| | regularly to remind you when you should
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| These dangers aren't news to us. We've
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| | be taking a break.
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| all heard of Repetitive Strain Injury
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| | Stretching
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| (RSI), Occupational Overuse Syndrome
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| | The final thing you can do to protect
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| (OOS) or WRULD (Work Related Upper Limb
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| | yourself is to stretch out all the
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| Disorder). These are different terms for
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| | muscles and joints that end up cramped up
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| what is essentially the same problem -
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| | when you're sitting at a computer.
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| constant repetition of small movements
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| | Stretching helps relax muscles that have
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| (like keyboarding, or using a computer
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| | a tendency to tense up, and is probably
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| mouse) in a context of very few larger
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| | the singlemost important part of helping
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| movements. Left for too long, this can
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| | you avoid OOS. For a short list of some
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| cause tingling, numbness,
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| | of the stretches that will be helpful to
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| pins-and-needles, and gradual weakening
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| | perform regularly, please click on
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| of the affected area. And let's not
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| | NEED HELP PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE?
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| forget that it can also cause intense,
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| | Just as the dangers of OOS aren't news to
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| debilitating pain, and prevent us from
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| | many of us, neither are the things we can
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| working. OOS is *not* a fun condition to
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| | do to avoid it. However, it's easy to get
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| develop.
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| | caught up in our work - in the pressures
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| A 2002 Australian study (quoted on
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| | of looming deadlines. All too often, we
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| found that these work-related muscle and
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| | sit down with the best of intentions for
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| soft tissue injuries made up more than
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| | working safely, then look up and discover
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| 60% of all workplace injuries. Another
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| | three hours have gone past since we last
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| study (quoted on showed that out of just
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| | took a stretch break. And then, of
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| over 1,000 questionnaire respondents,
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| | course, there's the question of exactly
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| over 130 had actually put in compensation
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| | which stretches we should be doing, and
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| claims for OOS and well over 600 others
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| | making sure we're doing them right.
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| reported symptoms of OOS without claiming
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