| Let me walk you through a normal day at work | | | | 35 hours, and you see where I’m going with |
| for me: | | | | this. |
| 1.) Come into the office at 7:50 | | | | Normal office employees spend at LEAST 35 |
| 2.) Check emails at my desk | | | | hours a week sitting behind a desk more than |
| 3.) Grab a cup or two of coffee (a must) | | | | likely practicing horrible posture. If you work in the |
| 4.) Spend 4 or 5 hours at my desk working on | | | | financial, law, or government industry, you can |
| reports, answering phones, calling clients, or doing | | | | multiply that total by 2… 70 hours you may |
| research on my computer | | | | spend a week slouching in a chair. I don’t care |
| 5.) Lunch (eat out if it isn’t too busy, order in | | | | how much you exercise, run, bend yourself in |
| if I know I’m going to be busy) | | | | weird shapes (yoga), or eat healthy, NOTHING is |
| 6.) Spend another 4 or 5 hours finishing up items | | | | going to help your back if you spend that much |
| from the morning, calling clients, or writing. Again, | | | | time working against it. So why not do yourself a |
| at my desk. | | | | favor and spend that 35-70 hours a week |
| 7.) Go home, grab a quick bite to eat, and hit the | | | | practicing great posture? |
| gym. | | | | The benefits are limitless! For starters, you will go |
| Now, to many of you this may seem like a | | | | home with less back pain (if any at all). Also, |
| typical day and for many more readers, you | | | | straightening your back requires muscle tension in |
| could use this list as a check-off sheet for your | | | | your abdominal region. Guess what gentlemen, |
| life every day at work. The trouble is, by the | | | | that means you are getting an ab workout just |
| time I get back to my home, I’m worn out | | | | sitting at your desk! Tighten that stomach while |
| and my back is killing me. Now, let me reiterate | | | | helping your back! Few people may realize just |
| line item #7 from above, “…hit the | | | | how many calories you burn just sitting at a desk |
| gym”. I work out 4 or 5 days a week and I | | | | in an afternoon. If you have a stressful afternoon, |
| am an avid boxer. Safe to say, I am in pretty | | | | you could burn a few hundred just sitting at your |
| decent shape for my age. So why, with the | | | | desk. If you are having a stressful afternoon, |
| exercising, healthy eating, and seemingly low | | | | AND sitting up straight, it will amplify those calorie |
| stress job, am I still suffering from back pain | | | | burning benefits no less than 2 fold! |
| most days of the week? | | | | Now, it is pretty hard to consciously sit up |
| Now, I will emphasize some more line items from | | | | straight and to keep doing so for several hours a |
| above: Lines 2-6 involve me sitting at a desk | | | | day, 5 days a week. For a great help, a sturdy |
| looking at a computer screen and, most likely, | | | | lumbar support pillow will keep your back properly |
| hunching over my keyboard or slouching in my | | | | aligned and will even help make that office chair |
| chair by 4pm. | | | | (that was purposely bought to be as |
| Think about it, I may spend 2 hours a night at the | | | | uncomfortable as possible to prevent you from |
| gym working out and boxing. Multiply that by the | | | | taking those much needed afternoon naps) a |
| 4 to 5 nights a week I work out, and I get, on | | | | dream to sit in for hours on end. Now go do |
| average, about 10 hours of vigorous exercise a | | | | yourself a favor: Get a lumbar pillow, tighten |
| week. Compare that to the minimum 7 hours a | | | | those abs, be productful at work, and have a |
| day I spend sitting at my desk slouching over my | | | | happy back. |
| keyboard for 5 days a week for a grand total of | | | | |