Benefits of an Adjustable Height Desk

Benefits of an Adjustable Height Desk
By Avisha Jain
If you are wondering whether it's beneficial to invest in an adjustable height desk, you are in for a surprise. There are many health benefits as well as ergonomics as well as simple comfort. People who use adjustable height desks have been known to live longer and healthier because apart from burning more calories they also succeed in improving their circulation and lose weight more easily. You will be impressed discovering some of the very prominent benefits you will accrue from using one.
You will live longer: It is a known scientific fact those people who stand up for longer times can actually live longer than those who work while seated. You will increase your life expectancy beyond your colleagues who live a purely sedentary lifestyle. This is in addition to the fact that you will avoid the physical consequences of sitting for long periods of time that creates lots of physical harm. You will not be allowing excess fats to stay in your liver, heart, brain and many other organs. You also get to improve your muscle tone and you will not get exhausted easily. You will avoid being obese by this simple act of using a standing desk.
You burn more calories: We all know that the more calories we burn, the more health challenges we avoid in our lives. This will be another benefit we get by switching from a sitting desk to an adjustable height desk. By burning more calories you will not be accumulating any extra fat deposits. This is especially important for anyone who has been trying to cut excess weight. Studies indicate that while a person using a sitting desk will burn about 970 calories in a week, the same person will burn 1260 calories when using an adjustable height desk.
Overall health improvement: We are a generation that lives a sedentary lifestyle and with it we have inherited lots of lifestyle diseases; some of the most prevalent disease includes diabetes, which is mainly as a result of obesity and being overweight. We all know that the best way to deal with these challenges is to improve our diet and get involved in some form of physical activity. You can also improve your chances of getting physically active by using a standing desk especially when you don't get sufficient time to do any exercise.
Improved ergonomics: It is almost obvious to all of us that the sitting position is not natural and, as such, sitting for long time period is known to create some challenges including back, neck and shoulder aches. This is in addition to headaches, leg pain and cramps as well as issues to do with poor vision. Since most of us are not able to stand for an entire day, using as standing desk is the best way to oscillate between the sitting and standing positions. An adjustable height desk is a perfect ergonomic desk and it will generally help to improve your skeletal health as well as helping to improve interaction with your colleagues. You can comfortably use a standing desk at work, in your home office or even as a student since it will generally improve your life.
Change the work you work in the office, switch over to adjustable workstation and standing desks to make a world of difference to that growing sore back. For more information on companies making standing desks products visit the website.
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Avoid Back Pain When Playing the Piano

ByAmee LaTour

Proper posture and body mechanics are essential to avoiding back, neck and shoulder pain. For piano players, these two essentials make the difference between suffering through your music and fully enjoying the experience.

A musician studies both his instrument and himself when developing his musical style. Part of this study for pianists should involve how you hold your body and how you interact with the piano. Proper form and ease of movement will reduce pain and improve your playing.

Piano Form

Posture is one of the main determinants of muscle tension. Posture is poor when muscles are held at abnormal lengths. The following tips will help you maintain correct posture at the piano, thereby reducing muscle tension.

1. Don't hunch over so that your face is parallel to the keys. Some do this simply because it makes it easier to see the keys; other may do so unconsciously due to the stress of concentration. Sit upright and use your eyes rather than your neck to look down.
2. Keep your shoulders low and loose. Tensing and raising the shoulders is one of the most common postural mistakes people make when they concentrate, particularly when using their arms.
3. Your forearms should be about parallel to the floor. Your elbows should be a little in front of your midline. As your move your arms up and down the keyboard, strive to keep the elbow and hand in line with each other. These postural tips will help reduce strain on the arms and shoulders.
4. When you need to reach beyond the keys in front of you, move from your hips rather than your back. This is easier to do if you sit on the front part of your bench, which frees up the hip joints since less thigh area is anchored by the bench.
5. Feet should be flat on the floor. If the feet aren't supporting the legs, the hips and lower back will have to.

Ergonomics

Your piano station should be set up with following ergonomic capacities to facilitate correct posture.

1. You must be seated high enough to allow your elbows to be positioned above the keys with the forearm almost parallel to the floor. You may choose an adjustable bench or use props such as phone books to raise your seat if needed.
2. If your feet can't reach the floor to be resting flat on it, you can use a footrest and or similar prop beneath your feet for support. Dangling feet put extra strain on the hips and lower back since they fail to support the legs.

Stretches

The above tips will help set you up for reduced muscle tension while playing the piano. It is always a good idea to stretch the body, particularly muscles subjected to the most stress. Stretching will also help you be aware of your body and give you a break form sitting. Do the following stretches before and after practices, and at 30-45 minute intervals during sessions.

1. Raise the arms above the head and slowly lower them to your sides. This helps elongate the spine.
2. Roll the shoulders backwards.
3. Clasp your hands behind your back and pull backward, opening up the chest.
4. Clasp your hands in front of your chest with palms facing outward and push out. This stretches the upper back.
5. Get down on one knee with the both knees at 90 degree angles. Lean forward. This partial lunge stretches the hip flexors, which are commonly tight in people who sit for prolonged periods of time.

Additional Resources

If you need extra instruction, consider the Alexander Technique. This program was designed to help musicians and performers obtain ideal posture and movement patterns. You may choose to train with an instructor or pursue self-study. Information on the Alexander Technique can be found at http://www.alexandertechnique.com/.

Movement therapies like yoga and Pilates help to increase body awareness and strengthen the core, a muscle group that plays a major role in maintaining proper posture. You may choose to participate in a class or study at home using online videos or DVDs for instruction.

You can by using your body correctly. The above tips will help keep the music in your life without the pain.

Education in back pain is the cheapest form of self-preservation. Learn about what causes back pain and 4 things that cause sciatic nerve pain.

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Back Pain and Your Feet: What's the Correlation Between Your Arches and Your Spine?

Does your back hurt? If so, you may need to check your feet. Yes, that's correct-your feet. Your feet are your body's base-its foundation. If your body's base isn't properly supporting its foundation, there will be problems. Imperfect feet can cause knee pain, unlevel hips, and back pain. So, it's important to know which kind of feet you have and how to care for them.

There are three kinds of feet in this world: flat-footed (pronators), high-arched (supinators), and medium-arched (normal). How do you know which feet you have? You can perform a fairly reliable, simple test called the "Wet Feet" test:

Step 1: Wet the entire bottom of your feet.

Step 2: Step on a piece of paper, paper towel, or brown bag that is placed on a flat surface.

Step 3: Observe your wet footprint.

If your footprint reveals your entire foot, you are likely flat-footed. If your footprint reveals about 50% of your arch (middle of your foot), you likely have a normal arch. Lastly, if less than 50% of your foot is revealed, you probably have high-arches. Now that you know how to determine your type of arch, let's talk about what's next.

When functioning properly, the arch of your foot acts as a shock absorber. However, flat feet and high-arches do not properly function and can result in either too much or too little shock absorption. This change in arch function can result in back pain.

If you are flat-footed, you will need an arch support in your shoes. Some shoes have built-in arches that may suffice. However, an orthotic insert may be necessary in addition to a shoe's built-in arch if your arch is severely collapsed. Be aware that flat-footed people are at higher risk for chronic low back pain.

High-arched feet, or supinators, do not have enough shock absorption and are at risk for knee and low back pain. A supinator needs a soft shoe with extra cushioning to compensate for the lack of shock absorption in their arches.

Please note that if you have normal arches you, too, must be wary of your shoes. Because your arch is adequate, it is important that you do not wear shoes with built-in arches as it may have an adverse effect.

If you are unsure of your foot type or which type of shoe is best for you, seek the advice of a qualified health professional. There are numerous running shoe stores that are available to assist you in properly selecting a shoe, as well. Back pain may result from myriad issues. If your back pain doesn't resolve three weeks after you've changed shoes, seek professional help. You want to ensure your back pain isn't a result of some other factor.

Dr. Zumstein is the author of "Secrets to Preventing Back and Neck Pain: 60 Ways to Protect Your Spine," and founder of The Back Safety & Wellness Consultants. You can find his book, information about his company, or sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.backsafetyandwellness.com.

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