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Back pain, eye strain, laziness, shoulder pain, restlessness.
If you sit at a computer for long periods of time, whether for work or play, you have probably experienced one of these symptoms.
But there are ways to alleviate some of that discomfort — and even combat some of the health risks that can come from prolonged sitting. This includes walking breaks, ergonomic solutions, and quick and easy stretches.
Here is a summary of the tips that have already been featured on Life Kit.
If you feel tired and sluggish… take a five-minute walk (every half hour)
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We know that a sedentary lifestyle is not good for human health. Studies have shown it can lead to fatigue, weight gain, and back and joint pain — and it has been linked to chronic illnesses like obesity, heart disease, and cancer. However, in the United States, adults spend on average 9.5 hours sitting per day, involved in activities related to computers, laptops and phones.
But there may be a way to mitigate its harm. In 2023, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center sought to determine the minimum amount of movement needed to counteract the dangers of prolonged sitting. And they found that walking for five minutes every 30 minutes was the most effective strategy.
In 2023, our colleagues at NPR’s Body Electric tested this five-minute walking exercise on our NPR listeners. More than 20,000 participants took part in the challenge — and reported higher productivity and less fatigue.
Want to try this walking challenge? Get instructions from Body Electric – And use this worksheet to track your walk breaks.
If your back hurts from slouching at your desk… rotate your spine
Anyone who works at a desk knows how easy it can be to fall into a slouching position. If we’re not careful, that rounding in the middle of the back can creep in throughout our sitting time and create pain by putting pressure on the midsection of our spine.
This move above seeks to relieve that stress and encourage flexibility by mimicking the natural movements of the spine – lateral bending, backward bending and rotation, says Vinh Pham, physiotherapist. The idea is to get the body comfortable with these movements so that when you encounter them in real life, they are not painful.
To perform this modified movement, which Pham calls the 3D T-spine rotation, stand up and drop your right foot behind your left, about a foot apart. Starting with your right arm extended and your left arm behind you, as if you are shaking hands with the person behind you, simultaneously lower your arms – still in a straight position – and turn towards your right foot. Return them to their original position and hold them for two seconds. Repeat the movement ten times before switching legs and doing the same exercise on the other side.
For more pain-relieving stretches, read this story.
If your eyes hurt when looking at a screen… stretch your eye muscles
When you stare at a screen for long periods of time, your eyes have to work hard. They must first turn inward to look at a close subject, then adjust the focus for close vision and maintain that position.
Digital eye strain, as ophthalmologists call it, can cause eye strain, headaches, or blurred vision. Try the exercise below to relieve this tension.
If you’re feeling restless and fidgety… change your position (and don’t worry too much about the “right” posture)
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Restlessness is a sign that you need to get out of a stagnant posture, says Katy Bowmanbiomechanist and author of Rethink your position And Movement matters. Even a position that seems comfortable at first can start to cause back pain, headaches, or stiffness. if you hold it long enough.
So listen to your body and mix things up. Alternate between sitting, standing, lying down and moving. This might involve choosing to stand in the back of a conference room during a large staff meeting, answering a call while walking around, or reading a report with your feet propped up in the break room.
The goal is to put yourself in configurations that contort your body in different ways. They must be “adaptive and dynamic” and easy to “modify” Léa Malekphysiotherapist and author of the book Science of stretching.
Don’t worry too much about what constitutes “good” or “bad” posture. Malek and Bowman agree on a common phrase among physical therapists: “Your best posture is your next posture.”
If sitting at your desk makes you uncomfortable… adjust your workspace
Your monitor screen should be at eye level so that you don’t tilt your head to see. And your keyboard and mouse should be low enough that you’re not shrugging your shoulders and raising your arms like a praying mantis to type and click.
Meg Honan, a professional ergonomist, says this common “head down, arms up” position leads you to feel “sore, sore and tired.” To combat this uncomfortable and often painful position, try repositioning your technology. Bring your laptop or desktop screen to eye level with a stack of books or other platform.
Place your keyboard and mouse at a lower height so you don’t need to shrug your shoulders to use them. If your keyboard is connected to your laptop, consider connecting an external keyboard and mouse so you can have the computer screen at eye level and lower your arms. External mice not only help us put our hands down, but they also avoid the constant strain of using a trackpad.
For more ergonomic tips, read our story.
This story includes reporting by Ruth Tam, Sylvie Douglis, Frank Festa, Andee Tagle, Manoush Zomorodi and Margaret Cirino. This story was edited by Meghan Keane. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We would love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823 or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.
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