The Importance of Taking "Micro Breaks"

POSTURE & MICRO BREAKS

Prolonged sitting, whether at a desk or on the couch, can lead to a number of chronic health problems:

Damage to your spinal vertebrae, joints and vertebral discs.
Pain in your back, neck and weight bearing joints.
Prevents your lungs from fully expanding there

fore limiting your oxygen intake causing you to fatigue more quickly.

Can cause an unnecessary compression of your spinal nerves affecting the overall function of your muscles and organs negatively affecting your overall health.

Take a second and analyze how you are sitting right now.

Is your back curved slouching down? Are your shoulders slumped forward? Is your chin jutting out? Are your legs crossed? Are you sitting on the front edge of your chair?

The way you are sitting day after day can impact your overall health. Did you know you can be causing damage to our body simply by sitting poorly? Our posture has a huge impact on our health and attitude.

More facts about posture and how it can affect your overall health:

Headaches: Poor alignment is the leading cause of headaches due to the strain put on the muscles of the neck. (Known as cervicogenic or tension headaches.)
Text Neck: Tilting your head downward to read your phone or tablet can be the equivalent of 60+ lbs of pressure on the back of your head/neck.
Stomach Problems: Poor posture can lead to digestive challenges because your organs compress, slowing down your digestive process and adversely impacting your metabolism.
Sleep Better: Poor posture may negatively impact your sleep. When the skeletal and muscular systems are out of alignment, it is difficult for our bodies to completely relax.
Mood & Productivity: Research has shown that bad posture correlates with bad mood and even less motivation. Sitting up straight can help you stay focused and to boost your alertness and productivity at work or school.
Confidence: Simply by pushing your shoulders back and lifting your head – you boost testosterone, which helps with confidence, while lowering cortisol, which is associated with stress.

Over time, poor posture takes a toll. If you are experiencing back pain, neck pain, headaches, and even digestive trouble, take a moment for a

MICRO BREAK!

Micro Breaks are a great way to re-energize your body and your mind.

Every 30 minutes (set an alarm on your phone or get a kitchen timer) get up from your desk or step back from what you are doing and spend 30-60 seconds re-energizing your body and mind. A few simple examples of things you can do are as follows:

Perform neck stretches (handouts available)
Perform lower back stretches (handouts available)
March in place
Shake your arms and legs to improve your blood flow
Go get a drink of water or take a bathroom break
Simply move your body

When you return to your desk or workstation re-position yourself with good posture sitting or standing up straighter with your eyes up and arms relaxed (handouts available). If you work at a desk and have the option to sit or stand, alternate every hour or couple of hours.

These MICRO BREAKS do not need to be any longer than 30 seconds to 1 minute. Just enough to get your body moving and allow you to re-position yourself at your work station with better posture on a more consistent basis.

Chronic back or neck pain when working can be a sign that there is something more serious going on. CHIROPRACTIC CAN HELP!

Should you have any questions for Dr. Krebsbach please feel free to call our office or stop in for a consultation to see if chiropractic is right for you.