At Urban Wellness Clinic, we are always looking for ways to make the office a healthier and happier space. Whether you’re a business owner or full-time employee, working in an office environment can unfortunately lend itself to back pain, weight gain, stiff joints, sore wrists, and brain fog. Luckily, there are some tried and true tips you can use to maintain your physical well being while you’re on the job. Read on to learn more

1. Ergonomic Assessment – No amount of working out, yoga, physical therapy, or massage can make up for 8-12 hours of sitting poorly. As part of our Corporate Wellness Solutions program, our knowledgeable staff provides employees with individualized assessments to determine how they sit at their desks, where they place their arms, and where their monitors are positioned, paying attention to all the factors that play into potential poor posture. By moving people into proper sitting and computing positions, we can enhance good habits to increase productivity, improve physical comfort, and reduce injury.

2. Standing Desks – Recent studies have shown that sitting for long periods of time can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. Sitting has been labeled the new smoking, yikes! Using a standing desk can combat these dangerous side-effects and help make your daily work experience much healthier. We have had patients about to go into surgery to relieve pain for a low back disc herniation, and a simple evaluation and doctor’s note for a standing desk relieved their symptoms. They canceled their surgery that week, so goes to show right desk can be life changing.  Looking for a recommendation in a certain price range? Ask the doctors on our team, and we’ll answer all your questions.

3. Proper Posture and Take a Break– It turns out your mother was nagging you to sit up straight for a good reason. Proper posture not only conveys a more confident image, it also reduces back and neck pain, strengthens the core, and allows for a full belly breath. Mentally good posture reduces brain fog, headaches, and makes us more productive. We understand it’s tricky to sit up straight for hour on end, so we recommend putting a timer on your phone to go off once an hour to remind you to get up, stretch out, and walk around. Your body will without a doubt thank you!

We are always looking for ways to make the office a healthier and happier space.

4. Stretch Your Legs – When sitting for long periods of time, the hip flexors in your legs get short and tight from the lack of physical activity. Tight muscles can lead to back pain, hip impingement, and degeneration of the joints. By taking the time to stretch out your legs throughout the day, you can increase your flexibility, improve circulation, and correct your posture all at once. All of our patients leave the office with a set of easy stretches they can easily use throughout the day.

5. Mini Workouts – Exercising and the office may not seem like a likely pair, but there are actually tons of mini workouts you can add to your routine. You can engage your core, stretch your legs, squeeze your glutes, and swap out your office chair for a balance ball to work your muscles and get the blood pumping without making a scene.

If you are looking to learn more about workplace health and wellness, we would love to hear from you. Simply fill out this contact form and we will reach out to answer all your questions, fill you in on ergonomics, and teach you some stretches you can start doing from the comfort of your office. We look forward to hearing from you soon!