What is a Micropause?
You can have the best posture in the world but if you are in that posture for a long time then you will develop problems. Quite simply, our bodies do not cope well with prolonged positions or repetitive tasks. We need to keep moving to properly look after our joints and muscles.
Prolonged positions and repetitive tasks can lead to a build-up of lactic acid and carbon dioxide in the muscles and a stiffening of the joints. Over time, this can lead to aches and a decreasing range of motion. At a certain point we call this Repetitive Stress Injury (R.S.I.) or Occupational Overuse Syndrome (O.O.S.).
Introducing the micropause, which is a short stretch break performed at your desk, which flushes the build-up of chemicals and restores blood flow, before you feel the need to do them. This is especially important for the millions of people who sit all day at a desk for their work.
The bad news is that these micropauses should be very regular, once every 10minutes. The good news is that they don’t take long, just 10 seconds in fact. There are many apps you can use to remind you.
Bend your head to your left and right, turn your head to the left and right, bend your head forward and backward.
With straight arms, flex and extend both your wrists to stretch out.
Twist your torso to the left and right, bend down to the left and right, then bend forward and backward.
Other things you can do to mitigate the effect of working at a computer all day.
Use a standing work-station so you can alternate between sitting and standing.
Go for a short walk regularly.
Do some exercise in the middle of your work day.