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