STRAIGHTEN UP!
An ergonomic workstation that supports the body can help you avoid neck, shoulder and back pain, as well as other ailments.
Steer clear of lower back pain with a chair that fits the natural S-curve of the back and offers lumbar support.
Prevent excess strain on back by keeping knees level with hips for a neutral spine position.
For greater comfort, keep feet flat on floor. Use a footrest if desk height requires raising chair higher.
Avert repetitive stress injury by keeping wrists flat and hands at elbow level for greater support.
Diminish the need to lean forward by placing screen an arm’s length away.
Avoid neck strain; position top of computer screen at eye level.
Stand-Up Routine
Excess sitting is linked with obesity, high blood pressure, back pain, cancer and heart disease. Conventional advice has called for standing at least 15 minutes per hour, but new research indicates a 1:1 or 1:3 ratio is better during an 8-hour workday. That means standing for 30 to 45 minutes every hour. There can be too much of a good thing, though; 50 percent of study participants developed lower back pain after standing at an ergonomic desk for two consecutive hours even though they had not experienced back pain previously.
Keep Moving
Sedentary living is bad for health—and movement is the medicine. Along with helping prevent a range of health conditions, movement can counter anxiety and depression. To offset sedentary habits, the University of Michigan recommends taking an activity break—stretching, walking, climbing stairs—for 3 minutes every 30 to 60 minutes.
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Pair Eyewear at Hy-Vee features customizable frames for children and adults.
GLASSES AT HY-VEE
Headaches and eye strain can be a result of poor vision. Select Hy-Vee stores are partnering with Pair Eyewear to offer high-quality, affordable eyewear at in-store kiosks. Customizable glasses, sunglasses and blue-light-filtering glasses will be available.
Get the light right
Blue-light-filtering glasses may benefit those using digital devices before bedtime. That’s because the blue light from screens can interfere with our circadian rhythm—the body’s natural cycle that gets us to sleep.
SOURCES
University of Waterloo
How long should you stand - rather than sit - at your work station?
Mayo Clinic
The importance of movement
Motion
Motion
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