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
- the impact on muscles (in part 1)
- the general impact on the body (in part 2)
- the impact on your heart and the increase risk of cardiovascular disease (in part 3)
- the increased risk of certain cancers (in part 4)
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
Why massage in the work place?
Obviously I am a firm believer of massage in the workplace, so I will start by acknowledging my bias on the topic. What people may not know is that during the many years working in IT, I suffered from a verity of neck and shoulder issues. This lead me to go to see a GP, chiropractor, osteopath and masseur. While they all helped, what was most beneficial to me was regular seated acupressure neck & shoulder massage which helped me nip the tension and the problems in the bud. We all know getting a massage feels great. Once your massages starts, the nerve cells in your skin send messages to your brain to release feel-good endorphins . As a result stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline begin to decrease and the other all effect is to boost your mood and give you a natural high. On a physical level the tension and tightness in the muscles begin to release. This means your awareness shifts so your mind and body can function better. Researches find your mind gets de-cluttered helping you to think more clearly, improve your alertness which leads to improve performance. So why not book a massage see>> http://vitalitytherapy.co.uk/booking
Does reflexology improve quality of life at end of life?
With a 50% chance of a cancer diagnosis and a 50% chance of surviving cancer, cancer will touch all our lives. Cancer Research statistics
- 1 in 2 people born after 1960 in the UK will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime.
- 50% survive cancer for 10 or more years.
- appetite
- breathing
- constipation & diarrhea
- fears of the future
- pain
- nausea
- sleep
- communication
- tiredness
Why do muscles get stiff and painful?
Muscle fibers are designed to tense and relax and go through a natural tense/relax cycle as you use your body. A muscle under sustained tension without a corresponding relaxation phase becomes stiff and eventually spams causing pain. There are three reasons why muscles don’t relax:
- Overuse is for example when you injury yourself in the gym.
- Disuse is when your muscles tense when you are at your desk due to the body’s natural response to the demands and pressure you are under. Muscles are designed to be used which means if you sit still for long periods the muscular tension doesn’t dissipate.
- Misuse for the majority of people this is due to poor habits when walking, standing and sitting. Sedentary lifestyles means the muscles of the legs are often held in contracted positions for long periods of time and which can lead to stiffness. Sitting at computers for long hours keeps the neck and back in fixed positions causing the same muscles to contract which can lead to muscle tension and in some people muscle pain.
- Stretching Often - Stretching is, of course, a valuable way to relieve muscle stiffness.
- Exercise - Exercise in general is extremely good for releasing muscular stiffness, improving your mood and creating good health.
- Yoga -You can also consider yoga, which is a form of both exercise and stretching, and may have a positive effect on your future muscle discomfort.
- General Health - Your muscles are also very sensitive to your general health as well. You need to do anything you can to make sure you're getting enough sleep, eating protein, and drinking water. These small changes are going to improve your muscle health, which should improve the way your muscles deal with demanding lifestyles.
- Massage - Massage is an excellent way to combat muscle stiffness and pain.
