If you have an office job and a long commute on your way to it every morning, you know firsthand how much time you spend sitting down during the day. Unfortunately for office workers, sitting for prolonged periods on a daily basis is linked to a number of different serious health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Sitting can also cause weaker muscles and back pain, which puts you at a greater risk of injuring yourself. How can you combat the “sitting disease” without giving up your career? Here are some tips from the Casper physical therapy experts at North Platte Physical Therapy:

Stand during phone calls.

If you spend a lot of your day sitting on conference calls with clients and co-workers, use this time to stand up at your desk. This is a great way to break the cycle of sitting for eight hours straight per day without impacting the amount of work you’re able to get done. Plus, standing helps you improve your posture and tone muscles that gradually become weaker during periods of excessive sitting.

Go for a lap.

Do you have any meetings scheduled with one other person? If so, ask that other person if they would like to skip the conference room and go on a walk instead. This may seem like a crazy idea, but walking can actually improve your ability to think creatively, so it could lead to major breakthroughs in the office. Learn more about how walking helps us think.

Think NEAT.

Because sitting poses such a danger to our spines and strength, it’s important to think NEAT, which stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. Dedicate about 10 minutes per hour to your NEAT exercises, which should include stretching, bending and twisting your body around while standing by your desk. This helps you stretch out all of the muscles that remain in the contracted, tense position while you work at your desk. Standing up and moving around can also help engage muscles that are not used in the sitting position, which prevents them from weakening over time.

Drink more water.

Staying hydrated is great for your hair, skin, and overall health, but it can also help you combat the sitting disease at work. The more water you drink, the more you will have to use the restroom, which will force you to get away from your desk and walk for a few minutes. Keep a refillable water bottle at your desk and fill it up at a water fountain every time you use the restroom to motivate yourself to get up and moving throughout the day. Contact North Platte Physical Therapy to learn more about the sitting disease and the effect it can have on your body. Our staff is praised throughout the Wyoming and Nebraska areas for our commitment to our clients. We can fulfill comprehensive physical therapy services, and would be happy to customize a treatment plan that can help you go to your job everyday without developing the dreaded sitting disease.