Joint Health for Desk Workers: After reaching office in the morning, sit in front of the computer and then remain seated on the chair from lunch till evening. If your daily routine is similar, then be careful! The habit of sitting without moving for a long time can cause pain in the neck, waist and shoulders along with stiffness. Continuous sitting also reduces physical activities, due to which there is a risk of weight gain and loss of muscle strength. It can also affect weight bearing joints like knees and hips. However, it is not right to say that just sitting causes arthritis. So the question is, what should people working at desk jobs do to keep their joints healthy? Let us understand from the orthopedic specialist-
What effect does sitting for hours have on joints?
In a report published in News9, Dr. Ramnik Mahajan, Chairman of the Department of Orthopedics, Joint Replacement and Robotic Joint Replacement, Max Smart Hospital Saket, says that to keep the joints healthy, regular movement and strengthening of the muscles around them is necessary. In fact, when a person sits in the same position for a long time, he may feel stiffness or pain in the neck, shoulders and waist. Sitting in the wrong way and the height of the computer screen is not correct can also increase the problem.
Continuous sitting can reduce physical activities. Due to this, there is a possibility of weight gain and muscle fitness being affected. Increasing weight can put extra pressure on joints like knees and hips. However, sitting for long periods of time in itself is not evidence of joint cartilage damage or osteoarthritis.
How much exercise is necessary to keep joints healthy?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adults should do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity every week. As an alternative, vigorous physical activity of 75 to 150 minutes can also be done. Along with this, it is also important to do exercises that strengthen the major muscles at least two days a week.
You can use stairs instead of lift in office, walk for small tasks and take a walk for a few minutes during lunch break. Start according to your capacity and gradually increase activity.
When to consult a doctor if you have joint pain?
Sometimes it can be common to feel stiffness after sitting for a long time. But if there is persistent pain, swelling, lack of movement in joints or difficulty in doing daily tasks, then do not ignore it. In such a situation, it is necessary to get checked by a specialist.
Desk workers should not make these mistakes even by mistake
- Don’t sit for hours at a stretch: Stand up, take a walk, or do light stretching between tasks.
- Avoid wrong posture: Avoid sitting slouched and keeping the neck down continuously.
- Keep the height of the screen correct: The computer screen should be at such a place that one does not have to bend the neck again and again to view it.
- Don’t ignore exercise: Lack of regular activity can affect muscle strength and physical fitness.
- Do not ignore the pain: Consult a doctor if you have persistent pain, swelling or difficulty moving the joints.