Even when you have an ergonomically correct office chair correctly positioned for keyboarding and desk work, and a well-organized office with everything within arm's reach, sitting for long periods is not good for your body, said Suzanne Bade, an occupational therapist at the University of Michigan.
Though keyboarding may not appear to be physically taxing, you're intensely working the small muscles in your hands and forearms. You need to give them a rest, Bade said. You also need to give the large muscles a short periodic workout because, as she put it, "our bodies are meant to move."
She recommends taking a few minutes every hour to get up and stretch, walk around your house, or go out to check the snail mail.
Regular breaks are especially important for home office workers because they don't have the many interruptions that are part of a normal working day in an office and give the muscles a brief rest. As a reminder, Bade recommended a kitchen timer or software that goes off every hour. But you really do have to get up when the timer goes off -- intentions don't count, Bade said.
Whether you're taking a break or sitting at your desk, Bade said, you should drink water throughout the day. You need the fluids to lubricate your muscles; the short breaks will help the fluid flow through your body.
-- Katherine Salant
