Sitting at the computer for a long time burdens both the body and the psyche. You sit in one position for many hours, repeat the same movements with your hands, your eyes are fixed on the screen. This makes you feel tired and painful in different parts of your body after a long day.

Sitting behind a desk does not only result in minor ailments. An inactive lifestyle - and this is what you do, spending most of the day at the computer - increases the risk of serious diseases, includinghypertension ,diabetestype 2 osteoarthritisarthritis . However, you are not doomed to he alth problems. Learn how to prevent them.

Back pain

Long hours of sitting in front of the monitor are a pain for the spine. When sitting, it is loaded twice as much as when standing. Overload and lack of exercise weaken the muscles and ligaments that keep the spine in the correct position. And without this support, it is difficult to maintain a good condition of our "scaffolding". Hence the pain in the neck and back (especially in the lower section - lumbar), curvature of the spine and degeneration of its joints. But an overloaded spine can cause other ailments, including pain in the arms, legs, head (including migraine), visual and hearing disorders, pain behind the breastbone. This is because tendons, nerves, and blood vessels that connect to the muscles around the spine 'send' pain to distant parts of the body.

What to do? Maintain the correct position at the computer - do not slouch, do not put your head too far forward, do not lean over the desk.

  • Adjust the backrest of the chair so that it touches the shoulder blades and rests against the lumbar spine. If the chair is not contoured, use a lumbar pillow or, for example, a rolled up towel.
  • Position the screen in front of your face so that its top edge is below the line of sight - you will avoid neck pain.
  • Walk a few steps every hour, stretch yourself. Stretch your neck muscles too: turn your head to the right and slowly lower and raise it a few times, then switch sides.
  • Do sports - swimming, aqua aerobics, Nordic walking, pilates, fit ball (exercises on a large ball) are beneficial for the spine. Also do exercises to strengthen your musclesabdomen and back - they form a natural corset for the spine. Do not get overweight - extra kilos put a strain on your spine and joints.

Heavy legs

Long hours in a sitting position are conducive to leg swelling and varicose veins (more on p. 28). When the legs are immobilized for a long time, the so-called a muscle pump that helps pump blood from the legs towards the heart. This causes the blood to accumulate in the veins, press against their walls, contributing to the dilatation of the veins.

What to do? At work, do simple exercises: alternately straighten and bend your feet, twist them in circles, and stand on your toes.

  • Set the seat of the chair at such a height that its edge does not press on your thighs, and that you can put your whole feet on the floor. If this is not possible, use a footrest.
  • In order not to additionally obstruct the outflow of blood from the legs, avoid too tight underwear, trousers and socks, stockings and clothes with tight cuffs,
  • do not cross your legs as well.
  • At home, rest lying down with your legs raised above your body.
  • Practice exercises that improve blood flow in your legs - walking, swimming, spinning.

Overweight

A low-active lifestyle, and a menu rich in fatty and sweet products is a simple way to increase weight. The body is not able to use the calories provided to it and turns them into adipose tissue, hence additional kilograms. But being overweight is also associated with a greater risk of many diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes.

What to do? In the daily menu, limit products containing animal fats (fatty meat, butter).

  • Avoid fattening snacks like buns, bars. If you want a little something, try some he althy snacks, e.g. an apple, a few nuts or a handful of pumpkin seeds.
  • Choose foods rich in fiber (including bran, wholemeal bread, brown rice, vegetables
  • and fruit), because it gives a feeling of fullness for a long time.
  • Start moving - regularly, at least 3-4 times a week, go for walks, run, swim, exercise. Physical effort allows you to keep a slim figure, it will also deal with excess body fat.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

The disease is favored by the regular repetition of the same movements when typing on the keyboard and using the mouse, especially when the wrist is flexed excessively. Everyday, imperceptible injuries cause inflammation and swelling of the tendons, which leads to a reduction in the space in the carpal tunnel and compression of the median nerve running through it. This causes weaknesshand strength, tingling fingers and pain intensifying at night, radiating to the elbow and even the arm.

What to do? Make sure that there is at least 10 cm of free space between the keyboard and the edge of the desk so that you can comfortably place your forearms (do not rest your wrists on the edge of the table).

  • Put the gel pads in front of the keyboard and the mouse and rest your wrists on them (do not keep your hands suspended in the air).
  • Type lightly on the keyboard and don't squeeze your mouse.
  • Do some relaxation exercises every hour: shake your hands; alternately clench your fists and straighten your fingers; braid your fingers on the back of your head and fold your elbows.

Hemorrhoids

These are venous extensions that form on the inside of the anus and look like small, soft cushions. Sometimes they are so enlarged that they come out in the form of blue-red nodules. They usually burn, hurt, and when they burst (e.g. due to pressure), they start to bleed, and traces of blood can be seen on toilet paper or underwear. Hemorrhoids are especially troublesome for people who are constipated.

What to do? Do not allow constipation, as it aggravates the symptoms of the disease. So be sure to revise your menu and increase your physical activity.

  • If you have hemorrhoids, you can make 10-minute warm sit-ups in herbal infusions, such as calendula, oak bark or chamomile, to relieve burning and pain and reduce inflammation around the anus.
  • Relief will be provided by ointments and suppositories with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. In order to choose the most effective drug, it is worth consulting a doctor.

Constipation

Lack of physical activity weakens the abdominal muscles, which slows down the intestinal peristalsis. If, in addition, the menu is low in fiber, we drink little fluids, and because of stress and rush, we postpone the visit to the toilet, we may have problems with bowel movements. When this condition persists for a long time, toxic substances are formed in the intestines, which negatively affect the condition of the intestines as well as overall well-being.

What to do? Take care of the daily amount of exercise - physical effort will improve the functioning of the intestines. You can, for example, run, march, dance, but also do exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles - together with the pelvic floor muscles and the diaphragm, they form an abdominal compression, which affects, among others, for intestinal peristalsis.

  • Enrich the menu with products rich in fiber (including whole grains, raw vegetables and fruits, dried fruits) - this ingredient facilitates the passage of food in the intestines, and also accelerates the excretion of food residues from the body.
  • Like yogurt and kefir - they contain probiotic bacteria (more on p.30), which improve perist altic movements and help to maintain a beneficial microflora in the intestines.
  • Remember to drink at least 2 liters of fluids a day (non-carbonated mineral water, fruit teas, vegetable juices).
  • Use the toilet whenever you feel the need to have a bowel movement.

Osteoporosis

Lack of exercise combined with a low-calcium diet, drinking large amounts of coffee and smoking increases the process of decalcification and bone loss. The disease develops over many years, but it becomes noticeable (often with a fracture) when the defect is already very large.

What to do? Regularly engage in sports - it has been proven that physical exertion helps to maintain the balance between the processes of constant bone formation and destruction.

  • Make sure that the menu does not run out of products rich in calcium - most of it is in milk and its products.
  • Spend time outdoors every day - under the influence of the sun, the skin forms vitamin D3, which is necessary for the absorption of calcium. In the autumn and winter period, it is advisable to supplement both of these ingredients after consulting your doctor.

Irritated eyes

Working at the computer is not conducive to natural, he althy vision. It activates only a narrow range of the visual capacity. This means that in the long run, some skills may even disappear, and in addition, the monotony of vision contributes to visual overload. Blurring vision, double vision, a feeling of dryness and burning (dry eye), reddening of the conjunctiva, watery eyes, sensitivity to light, and worsening of vision defects - these are the most common eye problems.

What to do? Position the monitor 40-75 cm from your eyes. The screen should be directly in front of your eyes, with the top of the screen slightly below the line of sight. Place the screen sideways to the window so that light does not reflect from it.

  • Take care of good lighting - preferably it should be a lamp standing on the desk. Its light should fall on the keyboard and the documents you are using.
  • Regularly clean the screen with special liquids.
  • Remember to blink - this reflex helps spread the tears. If you feel your eyes are dry, use special drops, the so-called artificial tears.
  • Take breaks every hour to relax your eyes: take your eyes off the screen and look out the window, flap your eyelashes, draw eights, squeeze your eyelids and open them.
  • Eat rationally - antioxidants are valuable for the eyes: vitamin A (butter, egg yolks), C (citrus, chokeberry), E (olive oil, sunflower seeds), zinc (seafood, cereal products), selenium ( Brazil nuts), lutein(spinach, parsley) and zeaxanthin (corn), which neutralize free radicals. And omega-3 fatty acids (fish) reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome.
Important

Use your rights

  • If you work at a computer workstation, you can take a 5-minute break, included in the working time, every hour.
  • According to the regulations, if you have to use glasses correcting eyesight while working at the computer, the employer should bear the costs of their purchase (the amount of the refund is determined by internal regulations).
  • If you are pregnant, you should not work at the monitor for more than 4 hours a day.

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