KEEPING FIT : Taking the Strain Off Your Body on the Job

Ginny Miller calls it the “Monday-Through-Friday Syndrome.”

On Monday morning, aside from that inclination to drag your feet as you head for the office, you feel pretty good. Whether you cleaned the garage over the weekend, played catch with the kids or went for a long hike, the activity probably did your body good.

But as the week drags on and you spend hour after hour, day after day sitting behind a desk, your shoulders slouch, your neck tightens, your back aches, and by 5 o’clock Friday afternoon, you feel as if your body has molded itself into the shape of your office chair.

It’s an increasingly widespread problem, Miller says, as more and more of us spend longer and longer periods sitting at desks or in front of computer screens. And a costly one as well: Low-back pain alone costs $1 billion annually nationwide, and $250 million in employee compensation, according to St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, where Miller, a registered physical therapist, is manager of outpatient physical therapy.

But the job itself isn’t what causes the pain and stiffness, Miller told a group of uncomfortable office workers last Thursday at a class called “Keeping Fit While You Sit.” The class is held at the hospital’s Irvine Health Center and sponsored by the city of Irvine’s Family Services Program. The problem, Miller says, is how you treat your body while you’re on the job.

And in many cases, poor desk posture and other bad habits are compounded by ergonomically incorrect desks and chairs and improperly placed computer keyboards and monitors, she says.

Miller has been called in as a consultant to companies in Orange County and elsewhere to help make offices more user-friendly for the human body. But even in the most perfectly designed office, the worker has to shoulder some of the responsibility for preventing and correcting problems.

If at all possible, she says, don’t sit for extended periods without a break. Even standing, stretching or walking around for one minute out of every 20 can make a big difference. “Activity pumps blood in and out of your muscles,” Miller says. “Sometimes that burning that you feel in your upper back or neck is caused by the unoxygenated blood that can pool there if those muscles stay contracted.”

When you do sit, do it correctly.

Some desk chairs have lumbar supports, to support the natural spinal curve of the lower back. If yours doesn’t, provide your own, either a lumbar pillow (available at most drugstores and specifically designed for the purpose), a small pillow folded to fit the space between the small of your back and the chair, or even a rolled up towel 4 to 6 inches thick.

Sit up straight, and resist the tendency to lean forward into your work. “Instead of going down to the work, bring the work up to you,” Miller says. If necessary, prop papers up so that you’re not looking down at them.

As you sit, imagine a plumb line dropped beside your chair. Try to keep your ears, shoulders and hips aligned with that line.

Place your feet flat on the floor, or prop one or both on a stool or even a phone book. Change their position frequently, but try to keep your body symmetrical as you do.

“Being symmetrical is very important,” Miller says. “Use your body equally. Even if you’re right-handed, try to do things on the left.”

Pick up a piece of paper from your desk and hold it perpendicular to the surface. Now imagine that your body is that paper, with the top corners representing your shoulders and the bottom corners representing your hips. Try to keep yourself aligned that way, perpendicular to the desk, even as you move around, reaching into drawers or file cabinets or picking things up from the floor, she says.

During the day, try some of these stretching and strengthening exercises, even while you’re sitting at your desk. Remember to use good posture, and make sure the chair provides good support.

Chin tuck: Sit with perfect posture. Gently pull your chin straight back toward the wall behind you. Do not tilt your head back. This exercise helps you fight the tendency we all have to pull our heads forward.

Neck flexion: Sit straight, shoulders relaxed. Look down and try to touch your chin to your chest. DON’T roll your neck in circles and don’t tilt your head back.

Neck tilt: Sit straight, look straight ahead and tilt your head sideways, trying to touch your ear to your shoulder. Return to center and repeat to opposite side. It’s important to keep your shoulders down during this exercise, and Miller suggests one way to ensure that is to hold your arms crossed behind your back, with each hand on the opposite elbow.

Neck rotation: Sit straight, looking straight ahead. Slowly turn your head to the right and try to look over your shoulder. Return to center and repeat to the other side. To keep your chin level, Miller suggests imagining that your chin is on a shelf. Follow that imaginary shelf as you turn your head.

Triceps stretch: While sitting, reach behind your left shoulder with your right hand. Gently pull your right elbow left and down with your left hand. Repeat to other side.

Chest stretch: Also sitting, lace your fingers behind your head and gently pull your shoulder blades together. Do not force your neck forward.

Trunk rotation: In the same position, gently rotate to the left, then right.

Pectoral stretch: Stand in a doorway holding on to the door frame. Gently lean forward until you feel a stretch in your chest.

Side bending: While seated, clasp both hands above your head. Gently lean to the right, keeping your buttocks on the chair. Repeat to the other side.

Calf stretch: This is the same stretch runners use, but office workers need it too, Miller says. Stand 2 to 3 feet from a wall. Place your hands against the wall and put one foot in front of the other. With back leg straight, lean forward until the back calf is stretched. Repeat with back leg bent, then switch legs.

Hamstring stretch: While sitting and maintaining good posture, straighten one leg, then the other.

Neck tuck: Turn your head to about a 45-degree angle from center. Gently tuck your chin forward.

Shoulder shrugs: Gently shrug your shoulders and roll them forward and backward.

Shoulder rolls: Gently roll one shoulder forward and the other back, then reverse.

Full-arm stretch: Clasp your hands together and reach straight up toward the ceiling, palms up.

Trunk flexion: While seated, gently bend your trunk forward. Leave your buttocks on the chair. Roll up slowly.

Trunk extension: Gently arch your lower back slightly.

Pelvic tilt: Tighten your stomach and buttocks muscles and roll your lower back against your chair.

Thigh stretch: While sitting, gently bring your thigh to your chest and hug your knee, then repeat with other leg.