Tied to the Chair: The Need for Moving About

This is a guest post by: Sara Dawkins who is an active nanny as well as an active freelance writer. She is a frequent contributor of NannyPro.com and you can learn more about her Here.

Every day, millions of people are tied to their chairs in order to conduct their daily businesses. From the sitting position, they subject themselves to an entire day of work or play.

Although this may seem like a relaxing way of life, it is actually causing more damage to their bodies than they realize. Ergonomic chairs may be able to quell the back-pain you may feel, but what else could be causing underlying problems within your body?

1. Sedentary – Sitting at your desk and snacking on chips while you work is not going to help your overall health in the slightest. You are simply not moving enough to burn the calories you are consuming and it won’t take long before those calories solidify in various locations around your body. Even changing your snacking material to healthier foods can only do so much. The lack of movement will still degrade your muscle mass. Bodies that were once “ripped” and tone will start to smooth out as fat deposits could begin to fill in the gaps.
2. Joints – Some of us are plagued with pain in our knees, but not from physical activity. You can still have knee pain while sitting in a position over any length of time. By moving your legs into a different position, this pain can be alleviated. However, it will soon return as your body sits in a single position and your knees begin to stiffen. Getting up periodically throughout your day and walking around will remove the pain for an extended period of time as opposed to simply moving your leg to a more comfortable position.
3. Shoulders – Your shoulders can also be subject to stiffness and pain if you are sitting at a desk without arm support. In order to prevent carpal tunnel, you need to hold your wrists at a specific angle. Without arms rests on your chair, your shoulders are holding the weight of your arms for extended durations of time. This can cause a great deal of discomfort and even create soreness in your upper back leading to headaches. While purchasing a chair with these arms rests can help the problem, standing and moving about the location every hour or so can make a great difference in the amount of discomfort you may feel.
4. Mentality – Many people can feel fatigued after a day of sitting and working at their computers. This is because your body isn’t getting enough circulation to various parts. Even your brain needs increased circulation in order to function properly. Increasing your movements will help your overall health and your mental stability as your mood is reflected from the stresses your body may be experiencing throughout your day. Between sore muscles, knees, and a headache, the end of your day may be less than ideal for everyone involved.

It is important to keep your body active. You don’t need to subject yourself to hours of activity in order to maintain a good level of health, but you do need to move about. Take time out of your day to stroll around the office, building, or house. If you are one who works from home on the internet, take time out of your day to work on chores around the house to stay active. You’ll find a change in your attitude and overall physical feeling.