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I'm looking for some clarification on how my muscles respond to sitting in front of a computer all day and how to best correct this.
I already am able to take a solid break every couple-few hours to walk or exercise or relax. And usually when I do yoga what feels good is to stretch my psoas and strengthen my core and hamstring. But what I continue to have problems with are super tight posterior pelvis muscles and sometimes back, and I asked my massage therapist why they're tight when those are the ones that are stretched on the chair, and she replied that my body is always wanting to return me to natural "correct" alignment, so when I sit forward and cross-legged, those muscles that are stretching while I sit are tightening, in fact, as they try to return me to center.
???
What suggestions does anyone have on how to muscularly counter-act computer work? Can anyone clarify what happens muscularly from sitting? It seems counter intutive (as my book on the subject says) to do more forward bend streches. Particularly when my body asks to open up the front.
????
Thank you!
Lynn
I already am able to take a solid break every couple-few hours to walk or exercise or relax. And usually when I do yoga what feels good is to stretch my psoas and strengthen my core and hamstring. But what I continue to have problems with are super tight posterior pelvis muscles and sometimes back, and I asked my massage therapist why they're tight when those are the ones that are stretched on the chair, and she replied that my body is always wanting to return me to natural "correct" alignment, so when I sit forward and cross-legged, those muscles that are stretching while I sit are tightening, in fact, as they try to return me to center.
???
What suggestions does anyone have on how to muscularly counter-act computer work? Can anyone clarify what happens muscularly from sitting? It seems counter intutive (as my book on the subject says) to do more forward bend streches. Particularly when my body asks to open up the front.
????
Thank you!
Lynn
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Wisconsin
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Re: how muscles respond to sitting in front of a computer
Tue, October 6, 2009 - 8:42 PMI've meditated long and hard on this issue and have come up with some practical innovations that work well for me.>>
-building a sort of wide platform of padded plywood that can be placed over the chair, so that I can sit cross-legged, or in svastikasana during my computing.
- raising the computer screen so that it's center is just a little bit above where my eyes would rest when I am sitting up straight and in good posture.
Conventional furniture can be a killer when it comes to living a yogic lifestyle. Your chair and desk are just not allowing you to keep on doing yoga while computing. Sometimes I think my living quarters would best serve my practice if all furniture were banished and I did all my living on the floor.
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Re: how muscles respond to sitting in front of a computer
Tue, October 6, 2009 - 10:27 PMLynn, I had the same problem and one of the best things I ever did for it was buying a good Steel Case chair.
www.steelcase.com/na/leap_products.aspx
They're expensive, but you can pick up this model used on EBay. I don't know whether you work at home or at someone's office, but if you work for someone else, maybe you could talk them into getting one for you.
Also, I find that when I'm at the computer I tend to hunch forward and my shoulders splay forward as well, and the eye muscles contract to focus the eyes on the screen. Exercises for back-bending can help to pull back the shoulders and restore a more natural curve in the thoracic spine.
For the eyes, which are more or less continually locked in place on a position on the screen. Well, you can close them, sit up straight, restore the natural curve in your spine and let your shoulders fall back into place. Then you can bring your attention to the back of your skull (occipital bone) and let your awareness slowly flow down through the posterior of your cervical and thoracic spine. This will release the eye muscles that had been locked in place - might even provide a mini-reset.
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Re: how muscles respond to sitting in front of a computer
Wed, October 7, 2009 - 6:46 AMI was just reading guidelines that getting up every 30 minutes is recommended--just doing a couple of squats and moving your legs.
Stand-up desks are great. Some people also like the big birthing ball/pilates ball to sit on. Varying positions is helpful.
I would recommend more twists rather than forward bends. You are dead-on right about the psoas, which does pull on the lower back. Single knee to chest/wind relieving pose works well for that. If you can find a massage therapist who knows how to do a psoas release it's wonderful--intense but wonderful. -
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Re: how muscles respond to sitting in front of a computer
Wed, October 7, 2009 - 7:43 AMRight now I've gotten my office (work out of home) revamped so my desk is high enough for me to sit on a stool - which encourages me to sit up straight and actually move more frequently, it also enables me to stand (which is awesome).
I have a laptop (I need it over a pc) so no matter how I place it - either my eyes suffer (looking down) or my arms suffer (reaching up).
As for posture - sitting posture hasn't been a problem, I'm usually quite aware of my sitting posture (particularly after I got out of silly computer chairs). It's the fact that I'm sitting at all - right or not - that I want to counteract.
What does just sitting - even in perfect posture - all day change in my muscular holding. That much time sitting has to be retraining, regardless of whether I'm getting up frequently or not.
... I may just have to stand more :)
THANK YOU ALL for your suggestions and personal references.
Lynn -
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Re: how muscles respond to sitting in front of a computer
Wed, October 7, 2009 - 8:01 AMgreat topic!
thanks
another idea is to get one of those exercise balls which require somejostling around to retain balance.. maybe alternate that with the stool and those nonchairs which had a seat for your posterior and then a long ( 2 feet) kneeler for your knees.They were popular in the late 80's bu t I have forgotten the name. -
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Re: how muscles respond to sitting in front of a computer
Wed, October 7, 2009 - 11:53 PMWhy not do yoga during your computer session? The idea here is to create a comfortable workplace environment so that a person won't need to stop as often in order to work out built up discomfort.
I would suggest playing a sort of game, if you have the time and want to see if you can make some improvements.
Sit comfortably on the floor, on a pad or cushion if you need to, in a yoga pose, maybe the one you meditate in. Make sure your arms are free to move in front of you. Now go get your computer, and keyboard and mouse. Then get phonebooks or books or boxes, and boards. Build a little table in front of you for the keyboard and mouse .. maybe two stacks of books with the board resting over them and your knees in between, to make a kind of table for the keyboard and mouse Then build up another stack of books to place the screen higher up, getting it at a comfortable level so you won't have to hunch down and scrunch over to get a view. Experiment with this and adjust heights and placements until things seem as comfortable as it can get. It helps get the right seperation between keyboard and screen when there are longer connecting cables, or wireless, between the two. Portable laptops can be served by a seperate keyboard connected by usb cable or wireless option.
What you've been doing with this actually is designing custom computer furniture. Once you have the measurements of the layout figured out , your play model can be translated into wood by a carpenter or skilled friend, or you!
The idea here is that Ergonometrics are a particular personal thing, important to the comfortable, thus effective use of the given instrument. Discomfort, par contre, creates a situation where you're having to stop frequently to do remedial excercises. You won't have to stop and atand and stretch as much, if your stretches are already incorporated into the plan of use. With this setup designed correctly, your back is long the entire time you are computing, with the keyboard low, the screen high, and your legs folded in front and under. So why not keep doing yoga even during your computer session?
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Re: how muscles respond to sitting in front of a computer
Thu, November 5, 2009 - 1:20 PMgirl needs some restorative yoga! just google it!
