The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 7

There is a wide range of American start up companies, creating technology solutions to combat the new “sitting disease”.  In previous posts I have discussed in the impact of sitting all day

In my post, “Taking a Break“, I explored the reasons for taking a break and looked at the latest research on the length of break you need to take and the frequency.  In my last blog post, “Get Moving” I looked at how you can move while working.  In this post I want to review the technology solutions that are out there.

Activity Trackers

Most of the technology solutions currently available are wearable activity trackers. These products are basically advanced sensors that come embedded inside of bracelets or clips that hook onto your clothing. They measure your daily activity (steps taken and calories burned), sleep, and through an associated app, diet.  Below I list some of the common trackers.

  • 1. Apple Watch

Everyone knows that Apple is about to launch the Apple Watch which will have a plethora of health and fitness functionalities. However the Apple Watch heavily relies on the iPhone to function and is not really considered a standalone device. But I want to focus on one interesting feature which is that ten minutes before each hour, the Apple Watch taps on their arms as an alert to ecourage you to stay active or just simply stand up. I can see this being essential for people who want to stay active but find they lose track of time when they work.

  • 2. Jawbone UP

The company’s wearable activity tracker, Jawbone UP includes a step counter, sleep tracker and an idle alert, which offers reminders to users by buzzing if they are inactive. What is neat about Jawbone is that it links to your calendar from your iPhone and see what your schedule is with meetings and we can say — rather than buzzing you during the middle of your board meeting — we can actually wait until the end and give you some insight.

  • 3. Nike+ Fuelband

What is good about the Nike+ Fuelband activity tracker is that lets you set an activity goal, you can press a button on an LED screen to check your progress, and displays a green light when you have achieved your goal.  However it can be inaccurate if for some reason you happen to move your hands swiftly throughout the day.

  • 4. Fitbit One

Fitbit One is the best holistic tracking of activity, diet and sleep and is good value compared to some of the other activity trackers. The app creates graphs, charts and tools based on your data and lets you easily log food, water, weight, food plans and more.  It is especially good for women as you can clip it in the center of your bra, rather than trying to blend in a wrist based activity tracker with your outfit.

Applications

“I’ll help you unclog your mind and uncramp your body”, is the promise of HotSeat health app that turns short breaks into meaningful activity through nudges and social accountability.  What I like about this application is that it allows you to create competition – which are always very motivational!

Darma – The Hitech Cushion

Digital health upstart Darma have developed a cushion that aims to help people take control of their sitting habits.  It helps you remember to maintain good posture when sitting down for long periods of time. The cushion contains one millimeter-thick fiber optic sensors that sense the user’s movements. The pillow also has embedded sensors that detect heart rate, stress level, and respiration. All of this information is sent to a companion app on the user’s smartphone. The app can then track a user’s stress level, sitting time, and posture and try to motivate users to get up every now and then. It will also alert users when they’ve slipped into a bad position and explain how to correct their posture. If users are feeling back pain, the app can guide them through stretches that might help relieve it.  To me this more directly provides relevant information to help my clients than some of the more wearable technology solutions.  I am looking forward to its launch later this year, until then there is always massage!

Related Posts

  • Yet more scientific evidence of the benefits of chair massage

    A number of studies have identified that nurses experience a range of symptoms indicative of work related stress including

    1. Headaches
    2. Shoulder tension
    3. Fatigue
    4. Muscle and joint pain
    All of which can lead to more long term problems or dissatisfaction at work, absenteeism or burn out. An study looked at the "feasibility of chair massage during the work hours of nurses in impatient and out patient settings and its effects on stress-related symptoms".   A total of 38 nurses received a weekly 15 minute chair massage treatment once a week for 10 weeks.  All the nurses were assessed prior to the study at 5 weeks and then at 10 weeks for
    • Overall quality of life
    • Self-perceived levels of stress
    • Anxiety
    • Symptoms relating to anxiety
    Scored produced by all four measurements showed that compared with prior to intervention, symptoms improved at 5 weeks and improved even further at 10 weeks, with the results were most noticeable in those nurses working longer hours (12 hour shifts).  92 percent of the nurses made positive comments in relation to
    • improvements in sleeping
    • reduction in pain, stress and tension
    • reduction in headaches
    78% reported that their overall job satisfaction had improved and 60% showed a willingness to pay for chair massages if they were made available at work. Researchers concluded that "offering chair massages for nurses during work hours, while challenging because of busy schedules reduced stress related symptoms significantly and was highly appreciated by the nurses." Book your chair massage now >> Book Now Reference Engen JE et al (2012) Feasibility and effect of chair massage offered to nurses during working hours on stress related symptoms: A pilot study.  Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 18(4): 221-22

  • Why do we sometimes recommend longer treatments?

    In my last blog article, I explained the benefits including scientific evidence from a 15 minute Seated Acupressure Massage.   So if 15 minutes has all these benefits, why do we offer 30 minute treatments and why do we sometimes recommend them? Quite simply, its based on experience.  I find that some clients start to notice their neck & shoulder loosing mobility and their level of muscular tension increasing but they are too busy to book in.  Frequently we find that people leave it 3 weeks before they book in or sometimes up to a month, by which time the knots have multiplied and grown!!! The 15 minute treatment is designed to nip things in the bud, before the tension gets chronic.   However I appreciate that my clients have very busy lifestyles so this isn't always possible so we offer longer treatments. Finally, some people get home from work and instantly switch off while other people take a while.   This different rate of response is what we as therapists see when we treat people, so we recognise when your muscles are releasing really slowly.  Indeed over the years some of my clients have commented on how it took a long time for their right/left shoulder to relax.  In cases where your muscles are releasing very slowly we often suggest you book a longer treatment.

  • Is massage safe when you are pregnant?

    I know the top priority for pregnant women is to keep the baby safe. With this in mind I want to start by stating there is no evidence that demonstrates

    • massage can induce labour
    • massage can cause miscarriages
    • massage creates complications
    It is important to remember women's bodies were designed to become pregnant and nuture a baby to full term.  Pregnancy is not an illness.  In addition pregnancy can't be made worse by massage.  Muscles are still muscles, joints remain joints, nerves stay nerves. The effects of massage on muscles is the same if you are pregnant or not pregant.   It is common sense that the masseur ensure that the pregnant women is comfortable normally by lying them on their side and proping them up with cushions. So in short massage is safe for pregnant women.