Long desk job hours are now a hallmark of modern society. However, this lifestyle can wreak havoc on your knees, wrists, and other joints. Here are a few tips to keep your joints limber and pain free during the weekday.
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Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated has a lot of benefits for your body, but it can also lead to short bursts of movement throughout the workday, helping your joints to stay limber. You don't need to drink a pre-set amount of water. Just keep a water bottle on your desk and drink when you are thirsty. Proper hydration will not only improve your circulation, it will also lead to increased bathroom breaks. Treat these breaks as an opportunity to move around, stretch, and flex your joints.
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Take Breaks
Speaking of bathroom breaks, it is important to take short, regular breaks, as well. Get up from your desk, move around, and stretch. You might take a quick walk around the office, or put in some face time with your co-workers. When you are at work and focused on a task, inertia can quickly set in. Long seated hours in the same position can cause a lot of stress on your wrists and knees. Ideally, you should not go longer than 90 minutes at a time without taking a short break to get the blood flowing and manage your joint health.
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Switch Up Your Office Location
If you have the flexibility, switch up where you work. If you have a work issued laptop, walk around and settle in at one of the conference rooms, phone rooms, or even those comfy couches in the lounge areas. You could even switch desks with a friend or co-worker. Wherever you roam, the increased circulation will help with joint tension and may help improve productivity, as well.
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Get a Sit/Stand Desk
If you simply cannot work from a place that is not your desk, and you do have a little flexibility about what your desk is like, consider a sit/stand setup. Of course, you don't have to use a standing desk all the time! A flexible sit-or-stand desk gives you the best of both worlds.
Keep in mind though, sometimes you will just want to sit, and other times it will work better to stand. The real point here is to make sure you get some regular movement and don't wind up in one place and position all day long. Either way, there are plenty of other things you can do to keep yourself limber, even while you sit.
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Keep Fit Outside the Office
Another good thing you can do to relieve joint and wrist pain while you work is to make sure you keep yourself flexible, limber, and healthy outside the office, as well as inside the office. Luckily, good joint health and flexibility is not hard to maintain. Simple stretches, foam rolling, and some easy-to-do mobility drills can do a world of good but at and outside the office. Foam rolling is also good for improving your posture and can even help you with strength training.
Beyond keeping your joints limber, don't neglect the rest of your body. A good bodyweight workout will keep you healthy and does not require any special equipment. But if you already hit the gym regularly, don't forget to do some strength training. It can do a world of good for those aching joints and muscles. Even some simple hip flexes and regular stretches at home can offset some of the effects of all that sitting.
Keep these points in mind and your productivity will improve!
