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ESErgonomic Advice
Grab Your Tennis Balls for These DIY Lower Back Pain Massages
You are thinking of getting a massage. But you think twice about pushing through with the recent spike of COVID-19 cases. If visiting your masseuse or therapist is out of the question, then maybe you can be creative with your massage. You can use household or sports items to make the massage more effective.
In this case, you can use your tennis balls for a DIY lower back pain rubdown. Tennis balls have long been used in different therapies to relax muscles. These yellow balls are even used in some yoga to soften tight muscles and increase circulation.
Getting massage therapy is great for the whole body. MayoClinic.org noted that studies of the benefits of massage demonstrate that it is an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain, and muscle tension.
Let’s make it happen:
If you’re sold to the idea of a tennis ball massage, then go ahead and follow these three easy-to-follow quick massages:
1. If you have been sitting all day, this massage would be great for your tight lower back muscles. Get a tennis ball and put it between yourself and a chair or wall. Place the ball in the area about two inches from the butt cheeks. Roll the ball in this area and across the other side of your lower back. Do this activity for one to two minutes,
Understanding the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Does your wrist hurt or go numb sometimes? You might be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. You are not alone. According to compiled information from a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study in 2018, carpal tunnel syndrome is the third most common type of work-related injuries.
A 2010 study done by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine said that those who are in the office and do administrative support are among those who are more at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Other occupations include being in production and personal care and service.
All told, it is a condition that needs to be addressed right away. While carpal tunnel syndrome is not fatal, it can lead to complete, irreversible median nerve damage. If left untreated, it comes with consequent severe loss of hand function.
What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the median nerve, which runs from your forearm through a passageway in your wrist to your hand, is compressed. According to Mayoclinic.org, the median nerve is responsible for providing sensation to the palm side of your thumb and fingers, except the little finger. It also provides nerve signals to move the muscles around the base of your thumb (motor function).
There are studies that link mouse and mousepad activitie
Nutrients to Help You Recover From Back Pain and Surgery
A nutrient-rich diet is important to keep the whole body healthy. It will help the body recover from inflammation, especially if you suffer from any lower back pain or are recovering from a recent surgery.
Generally, eating junk food and fast food interfere with our health. According to this Washington Post article, a review of studies on fast food and heart health found having fast food more than once a week was linked to a higher risk of obesity, while eating fast food more than twice a week was associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and death from coronary heart disease.
The good news is that every healthy meal counts. Spine-health.com said that consuming a balanced diet with the right amount and variety of vitamins and nutrients can reduce back problems. This kind of diet nourishes the bones, muscles, discs, and other structures in the spine.
Know the nutrients that you need
Luckily, the essential nutrients that promote recovery can be found in the food aisles of grocery stores. Although there is much debate opting for organic or conventional food, the bottom line is that eating healthy fights inflammation, which is important for a pain-free body.
Exercise Balls: New Office Chair or Just Another Trend?
With ergonomics on the forefront of innovation in workspaces, different workspaces and office chair trends are popping up everywhere! In this article we’ll be discussing whether an exercise ball is ergonomically sound or just another trend.
Finding the Right Office Chair
When it comes to finding the right office chair, there seems to be a myriad of options available in the market. With ergonomics being in the forefront of innovation, it seems like ideas, designs and all kinds of different office chair alternatives are everywhere! But what about unlikely trends such as an exercise ball? Does using something that wasn’t initially made to be a chair work as an alternative option to an actual office chair? In this article we’ll be investigating the exercise ball. Will it work? Read on to find out whether they do more harm than good!
Do Exercise Balls Work as Office Chairs?
Popular opinions on using an exercise ball instead of an office chair often state that it’s better to use an exercise ball because of the negative effects of sitting down too much. By opting for an exercise ball, you activate your c
Warning: Cigarette Smoking Can Increase Back Pain
Every stick that you light brings harm to the body. Now studies show that even back pain can stem from SMOKING.
A May 2020 study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that tobacco kills more than eight million people each year. This is a dark fact, but something that everyone must know -- especially those who have the habit of smoking.
Talking about the mortality rate is one thing but living with the damaging effects of smoking is another. One of these health risks is chronic back pain. According to Medical News Today, which cited the study done by Bogdan Petre of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern, smoking interferes with a brain circuit associated with pain, making smokers more prone to chronic back pain.
Back pain is a prevalent medical condition that hampers productivity. According to a WHO study, it is one of the reasons why workers miss days at work. In the United States, an estimated 149 million work days are lost every year because of low back pain, with total costs estimated to be US$ 100 to 200 billion a year.
The association between smoking and chronic back pain
How does smoking trigger chronic back pain? Let’s just say that the substance in the cigarettes alters the brain’s response to pain.
This Is How Years of Sedentary Living Can Do to the Body
Have you met Emma? No, she’s not your new colleague. She is not a celebrity either. In The Sun story, Emma is a life-sized dummy that was created by scientists to show how desk-bound workers could look in 20 years.
Let me tell you -- Emma is not looking too good. The negative effects of having a non-ergonomic office space could have a negative impact on the body -- not just on the outside but also from within. Take it from Emma, who was created by pooling together collective complaints from 3,003 workers in the UK, France, and Germany.
Source: The Sun
Know your facts
This article from Mayo Clinic reveals that extended sitting with no physical activity increases the risk of obesity and a cluster of other conditions such as increased blood pressure and high blood sugar. It can also lead to metabolic syndrome as excess body fat around the waist builds and abnormal cholesterol levels rise.
Bad posture
Years of long hours working on a desk has altered Emma’s appearance -- for the worst.
Let’s start from the top -- from her hunched back down to her swollen limbs.
Emma’s back is hunched from sitting with poor posture fo
5 Ways to Detox from Digital
When it comes to disconnecting at a time of a pandemic, the task almost seems impossible and hardly practical. With these 3 simple tips, you can opt to gain a balanced mindset and detox all the negative and unproductive emotions you may be dealing with. For more updates listen to our weekly podcast Ergotcha! Now available on Google, Spotify and everywhere you can listen to podcasts! Join our hosts Shahida and Daisy as they explore ergonomics, lifestyle tips and more. While we may provide you with a quick guide to this week’s episode, feel free to explore what a digital detox is and how to apply it into your everyday life.
Let’s Get Into It!
A Digital Detox is all about disconnecting from technology when it’s needed. If you ever find yourself constantly checking your phone and feeling the need to always reply as soon as you get a message, an email or a notification, chances are you’re in need of a digital detox fast! These feelings can lead to the development of anxiety and can affect your mental health negatively in the long run. Dr. Jennifer Weniger
Health product that will waste your money
The quest for a healthier and younger body has always been part of the human narrative. In the old days, there was a clamor for a drop of water from the mythic Fountain of Youth. Its water promises to turn back the clock and heal the ill effects of aging.
In the modern world, the hunt is still on for remedies that will instantly make the body a healthier vessel. The health and beauty industry leverages the need for wellness, more so that the shadow of the pandemic continues to loom.
Say “NO” to these health products
It pays to read and do research before buying any product that offers instant and dazzling effects. Some products can be expensive and useless or downright dangerous so you have to be careful with your purchases.
Here are some health products that you don’t necessarily need:
Waist trainer -- Made famous by stars like the Kardashians and Jenners, the waist trainer offers the allure of having a slimmer waist without the need for surgery. Waist trainers are similar to the constricting corsets in Victorian Europe. But wearing the waist trainer comes at a price as it weakens abdominal muscles which are important for good posture. Moreover, it constricts airflow because it prevents the abdominal muscles from expanding which then inhibits the full contraction of the diaphragm.
Moreov
6 Productivity Tips to Overcome Procrastination While Working From Home
You just checked your calendar and saw that you have three deadlines today. You sigh and tell yourself that you will take a breather first. But instead of going back to work, you check your phone, you cuddle with your pet, and then get a cup of coffee. And before you know it, you just wasted an hour of doing something else other than what you ought to be doing.
You feel bad and ask yourself what’s wrong. You are procrastinating, and it’s a prevalent phenomenon. This study shows that procrastination comprises over a quarter of most people’s working days, costing employers about $10,000 per employee per year.
What is procrastination?
It is defined as failing to regulate yourself. This is a major issue that must be tackled especially now that working from home seems to be the new norm. Since there is no boss or colleague to monitor your work, you should motivate yourself to finish things within an agreed timeframe.
It is an uphill battle. Adjusting to this new work setup can affect productivity but that does not mean that procrastination should be a part of the process.
You can overcome procrastination
Luckily for us, we can avoid procrastination if we really want to. It needs will power and then some, but it will be rewarding to finally get off the rut and start accomplishing things. Here
The Painful Facts About Hemorrhoids & Tips to Avoid Them
Our overall health should be our top priority more than ever. With all these uncertainties ahead of us because of the COVID-19 pandemic, awareness and self-care is a must.
Almost half of the U.S. workforce is working from home to keep them safe from the dangers the virus may cause them according to data gathered by MIT. Since most workers are stuck on their computers all day, some forget to stretch and take a break from time to time, and this might cause a toll on their health – most especially the most affected part from prolonged sitting, our buttocks.
Too much sitting can cause hemorrhoids and can worsen if neglected. To know more about this, here are some facts and tips you should know to prevent having them. If you would love to know more about the fun stories about hermorrhoids, click in the episode and have fun !
What is Hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids or piles happen when the veins at the lowest part of your rectum and anus are swollen. Sometimes, these veins bulge and get irritated, especially when you poop. It is also due to straining on the toilet because of constipation, pregnancy, because of the extra weight, hereditary factors, and heavy manual labor.
There are two types of hemorrhoids – internal and external. Internal hemorrhoid is located inside the rectum. This type of hemorrhoid generally resolves on their own, although patients do experience discomfort because of their size. On the other hand, larger internal hemorrhoids may cause symptoms such as pain, itching, or burning.
External hemorrhoids are noticeable or palpable lumps in the anus – and that’s how to distinguish the two. Symptoms include discomfort during sitti
Tired of Waking up With Backpain?
Most of you who are reading this article have probably experience that unbearable pain the back each time they wake up. Ever notice that sharp sensation at your lower back, and sometimes, your hips, once you tried getting out of bed? How about the time, your lower back felt sore and not even a proper body stretch can take away the pain? How inconvenient, isn’t it?
But don’t worry! You may be uncomfortable from waking up stiff, but it’s likely nothing serious. However, there are ways to ease back pain all at once.
Yes, there are various tips to maintain your spine health, but a few articles related to easing the back pain when we sleep. According to Spine-Health, back pain interferes with getting to sleep and getting deep sleep, and conversely, the lack of restorative sleep increases the pain, thus more problems follow.
Back pain can be caused by many factors; a herniated disks, poor posture and straining back muscles. You can also visit a chiropractor and see what their diagnosis is if you can no longer bear the pain.
Read this article on how to get rid of backpain and how you can finally get the deep, restful sleep you need with these easy and simple practices.
Tips on How To Ease Back Pain
- Get a Good Mattress While Sleeping
Did you know getting a healthy amount of restful sleep is paramount to learning and education? – and that goes as well with our spine health too.
If you think that your sleep and back is compromised, then better change your mattress now. When choosing a mattress, lie down in your preferred position for 10
How to Ward Off the Dreaded “Office Butt”
Here’s the deal: Sitting too much might be jeopardizing your hard work to get the toned tush. Those long hours of sitting on your office chair are deactivating the nerves that activate gluteal muscles, which promotes atrophy or weakening of muscles. When this happens, the sleepy butt or office butt syndrome will make it hard for you to gain results for your backside.
What are the gluteal muscles?
When we think of our butt, we usually think about how good a firm derriere would look good in swimwear or your jeans. But the muscles in our butt have way more functions than aesthetics. They are the powerhouse of strength in the body and support you through different ranges of motion with the right posture.
It is composed of three muscle groups: the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus. Working those three muscles is a must because they can help avoid injuries in the lower back, hamstrings, and knees. The good thing is that you can awaken your glute muscles with specific exercises including amending how you go about your office day to ensure that your rear is working.
Say no to the office butt
- Engage your gluteal muscles now – Exercising is still the king of activity for your glutes. After all, they are muscles waiting to be developed. If you want a low-impact workout, you can start with barre exercises. Doing a
Top 5 Ways to Easily Get Started on a Healthy Diet
When it comes to getting healthy, there’s only so much you can do with a healthy diet. Jumpstarting your healthy lifestyle might be difficult but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With these 5 simple tips you can change small things in your day to day life that you can use to eventually jumpstart your healthy lifestyle.
Discover the Power of Water
You’ve heard it time and time again, drinking water as great way for you to stay healthy. Whether you’re working from home or following a daily workout routine, staying hydrated has the power to boost your resistance, improve brain activity and even aid in mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. When it comes to a healthy diet, supplements definitely have their place but when it comes to starting your healthy diet, ensuring that you have enough water is an important part of keeping fit. Discovering the power of water is all about ensuring that you have enough water intake. A good tip to follow is tracking your daily intake and setting a daily goal. By tracking how much water you take in daily, you give yourself a useful foundation in building healthier habits. If you spend long hours in front of a computer screen, drinking water has also proven to relieve stress. Drinking a glass of water before your meals is also another way to help jumpstart your healthy lifestyle, it’ll help you feel full and reduce the chances of overeating and binging.
Mind Your Mindset
The thought of a healthy diet can sometimes be overwhelming and off putting, especially when you have to consider all the small comforts you have to give up. Sometimes our need to gorge ourselves on salty snacks and sweet desserts is a result of too much stress and it’s important for you to identify the triggers that may cause you to eat unhealthy amo
3 Tips on How to Avoid Burnout at Work
Office burnout is a big problem for many people. Now that the global pandemic (COVID-19) has forced many of us to work from home, burnout is now a bigger risk for all. With companies looking for more productivity from their workers, higher levels of stress and pressure could lead to eventual burnout. Here are 3 simple tips you can try to avoid burnout while working from home.
Rest properly
Often times when working from home, we often forget to give ourselves a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday office work. Just like your life in the office, it’s important to ensure that you get a proper amount of rest. Dedicate an hour for your lunch break and disconnect and add in 15-minute breaks in the morning and the afternoon to help boost your motivation. When we’re too focused on work, we risk putting our physical and mental health at risk. A useful life hack would be to try and relieve tension from your day to day stress with the use of healthy massagers. Improve your blood circulation to help ease pain that may be caused by muscle tension and fatigue. By taking care of yourself, you invest in your ability to do work in the long run. Also remember that you should never feel guilty for resting or taking, a healthy body and mind is the key to productivity.
Stay active
The isolation that working from home brings often has us watching TV and living generally sedentary lives. Now more than ever, the need to stay active seems more impossible and elusive. Keeping yourself active is important not only for your physical health but your mental health too. Try incorporating simple stretches throughout the day to help improve your posture and your energy levels. For people looking take their fitness to the next level, a
Lockdown Lessons: 5 Easy & Healthy Eating Tips
With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) leading to millions self-isolating across the world, keeping yourself healthy is the top priority. It’s affected everyone worldwide and as seen in a recently conducted a market research study by Kantar, the global research firm, an above-average expenditure trend on healthier foods and vitamins continues to rise. Across the world, people are looking for healthy eating tips to help maintain their resistance as a defense against the virus. And although there is a lot of science behind staying healthy, here are 5 healthy eating tips that you can easily try to transform your day-to-day overall health.
Keep yourself hydrated.
Although drinking water can’t prevent COVID-19, it has been proven to help aid weight loss, results in healthier skin and hair and most importantly, it boosts your immune system. By keeping yourself hydrated, you provide your cells with oxygen that allows it to work at full capacity in fighting foreign bodies that may try to attack your immune system. An easy way to keep track of your water intake is sticking to your favorite tumbler or glass and taking note of how much water you’re drinking throughout the day. Drinking lots of water has also been proven to reduce stress and could help you stay active and productive.
Replace your coffee with fruits and other liquids.
While a cup of coffee might be your best bet in waking you up in the morning, too much of a good thing can also be bad for you. While caffeine may help keep you alert, it can also dehydrate you. To keep your energy up you can opt to have an apple. Instead of boosting your energy with caffeine you can reap the benef
Trending: The Rise of Standing Desk in this Generation
More people are now joining the standing desk trend as an alternative to the usual sitting set-up during office hours. Even multinational technology company like Google offers standing desks as part of its employee-wellness program – same goes with AOL, Twitter, and Facebook.
Google has already provided its employees with electric adjustable standing desks in their New York office, to promote productivity and keep the energy level high in the office. Currently, together with Facebook, these wellness programs provided for their employees are their smart solutions to overcome the dangers of sitting for hours each day.
Ever since the alarming studies of ill-effect of sitting too long, the standing desk trend has soared, or better yet, beginning to be the newest solution to prevent further health risks.
There has also been a great demand for standing desk usage after the work from home setup was established to keep everyone safe from the coronavirus pandemic. This new remote work trend was forced on many companies that wouldn't have any other options to keep their businesses afloat. With 66% of employees now working at the comfort of their homes, there has been research saying that small businesses could consider this setup when the pandemic is over.
Along with embracing the work from home setup, businesses are also implementing tools to keep their employees productive - and one of those is having
The Ergonomic Difference Between Working at a Standing Desk vs Sitting
Intro:
“Sit up straight” – the usual phrase we heard and oftentimes taken for granted.
While we can sit comfortably on our chair while working, slouching, and sitting for a prolonged time isn’t healthy.
Several studies show that calories are burned faster when standing than sitting. However, there are still debates whether work can be done productively if a person works while standing or while sitting.
Other studies has linked obesity, cancer, and heart problems to sedentary lifestyles which put desk job workers at great risk of having these kind of health problems. Today, we’ll delve into a deeper discussion on the difference between working in a sitting desk and a standing desk, and how can you meet your ergonomic needs.
Effects of Prolonged Sitting
For most people who work in the bank, in publishing, or generally with people who have desk jobs, spending too long on a desk has been the norm. In today’s age, sitting at a desk for a long period is equivalent to smoking. Almost 70% of people spend six or more hours each day sitting down, according to a study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
Are Coronavirus and Obesity are Corelated？
A recent report says that obesity makes people at high risk of getting infected with Coronavirus, but why is that?
In the UK, a study based on nearly 17000 COVID-19 patients showed that those who were obese had a 33% greater risk of dying than those who were not obese. Moreover, data on 3,615 confirmed patients from the New York University medical college, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases , showed that among people under 60, hospitalization rates for obese patients more than doubled and the risk of requiring intensive care significantly increased. So does being overweight or obese really affect severity of diease?
Why are people with obesity at risk?
According to the CDC’s website, severe obesity increases the risk of a serious breathing problem called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This complication may cause difficulties for doctors to provide respiratory support for severely ill patients.
People with obesity are more prone to have reduced lung function, possible inflammation of the fatty tissue around internal organs, and might bring negative impacts on the heart and blood flow. Studies also show that fat cells could also restrict the availability of vital immune cells around the body to fight off the virus, and much more dangerous is infected with the coronavirus.
Ways to prevent obesity during this coronavirus pandemic
To focus on your health and prevent being overweight, you should pay more attention to what yo
Effective Ways to Use Disinfectant During Coronavirus Pandemic
Health experts around the globe are advising people to maintain proper hygiene, social distancing, and looking for a coronavirus disinfectant to avoid getting infected. More people are also taking decisive action of disinfecting into a whole new level to make sure their loved ones are safe even at home.
Earlier this April, US President Donald Trump also proposed to inject disinfectant into the human body to treat COVID-19, which raised concerns from various health expert groups around the world. According to WHO (World Health Organization), even if the person is tested positive with the virus, spraying or injecting disinfectants may worsen the clinical condition of an individual.
While the possible cure for COVID-19 is ongoing, we’ve compiled a list of effective ways to use disinfectant and safety measures to protect you from possible dangers if incorrectly used.
Limit Usage of Disinfectants
Disinfectants are not advisable for daily use and one must know the difference between a cleaners/detergent and a disinfectant. Cleaners are products used to remove soil, dirt, dust, organic matter, and germs while the latter are chemical products that destroy or deactivate germs. Experts say that overuse of some disinfectant products can potentially create microbes that are resistant to particular disinfectants or that become “superbugs.” To know more about the types of disinfectant and the consideration before using it, click here.
However
