IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Winter 2017 | Page 25

HEALTH & WELLNESS
S P E C I AL S E C T I O N
alarm for every 30 minutes to get up and
take a lap around your office. Manage your
time effectively by going to pick up your
paper from the printer or grabbing a glass of
water. Even better? Visit a co-worker to talk
about a project instead of sending an email.
• Establish proper sitting habits. Keep your
back straight, feet at 90 degrees, and eyes
level with the top of your computer screen.
Make sure your shoulders aren’t hunched
when resting your elbows on your desk to
type.
• Stretch in place. Adding stretching to your
daily routine is beneficial for anyone. Stand
up and do a few stretches at your desk to
get your muscles loosened up and moving.
Feeling spunky? Add a few jumping jacks
in to get your heart rate pumping for some
extra energy.
• Realize how much sitting you do. Sitting
for eight hours at your job has negative
effects on your body, but going home and
sitting on the couch for the rest of the
night doubles those effects, increasing
cause for concern. If you have a sedentary
job, make a point of taking a walk when
you get home or spend some time on
your feet with your kids or at the gym.
Keeping active during breaks and on
the weekends will help combat negative
effects from the workweek.
BEST FOOT FORWARD
After hours of physical abuse from constant
pounding and tapping, your feet deserve a
break! Feet take a constant beating every day,
and we often blame foot pain on a long day
on our feet or shoes with poor support. Foot
pain may be caused by other problems in your
body that shouldn’t be ignored.
Keep tabs on your feet by:
• examining your feet regularly
• wearing comfortable shoes that fit
properly and offer plenty of support
• keeping your toenails trimmed straight
across
• allowing your feet to air out after being
in shoes.
Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing:
• joint stiffness
• tingling or numbness
• swelling
• discoloration or bruising
• inability or limiting of physical tasks due
to foot pain. ■
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