Sitting less can add years onto your life

It seems like every other post that I have is about posture, sitting, etc, but here is another one. There was an article published in the British Medical Journal linking time in sitting to life expectancy. These are some shocking  results!

Article conclusion:

Population life expectancy in the USA would be 2.00 years higher if adults reduced their time spent sitting to <3 hrs/day

Population life expectancy in the USA would be 1.38 years higher if adults reduced television viewing to <2 h/day.

Josiah Thunshelle, PT

1. Katzmarzyk P, Lee I. British Medical Journal. 2012; 1-7.

http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/4/e000828.long

Injuries in the Young Athlete

We live in a culture that loves sports. The drive to be the best is incredible even at a young age. The drive results in kids beginning sports at younger and younger ages. Training for this is year around and includes activities previously reserved for more mature bodies. As a result, there has been a steady climb in the amount of injuries in young athletes in spite of the advancement of medicine. I personally see more athletes that are under the age of 12 with overuse injuries than I ever thought I would see when I went to physical therapy school. An article in the in the Minneapolis Star Tribune was recently brought to my attention and the content is shocking. The study referenced in the article is from the Journal of Athletic Training and was done on collegiate athletes. Here are the abbreviated results:

573 athletes

1,317 injuries

29%=overuse injury

27% general stress

21% inflammation

16% tendinitis

I know this was done in collegiate athletes, but it makes me wonder, if these athletes are breaking down at this rate, how in the world are young athletes expected to hold up? I often am asked if a young injured athlete can continue at their current activity level and still recover. The answer is a simple “no”. Your body needs rest to heal and it cannot heal if excessive demands on placed on a developing body. The injury can always be managed, but it will never completely go away unless there is time for recovery.  If the underlying is not addressed the athlete will be predisposed to future injuries.

The morale of the story is that young athletes are at a great risk for overuse injuries due to their training regimens. Overuse injuries need time to heal. If not addressed now, there will be future complications.

Josiah Thunshelle, PT

1. Teen athletes in overdrive find bodies can't keep up. Minneapolis Star Tribune.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/preps/163297686.html?refer=y

2. Yang, J, Tibbetts, A, et al. Journal of Athletic Training. 2012; 47 (2):198-204.

http://nata.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/nata/jat/2012/00000047/00000002/art00011

Exercises for the Desk Worker

Listed below are a couple of quick and easy exercises that you can do if you feel tight when sitting at your desk or to help prevent pain/tightness from occurring. Basically what these exercises are doing is just the opposite of what you do at your desk all day.

Neck retractions

 

Instructions: Sitting tall, slightly tuck chin down into neck. Keeping chin down, slide head backwards on neck as far as comfortable. Hold, relax and repeat.

Reps: 10

Hold: 3 seconds.

Frequency: 2x/day

Trap stretch

 

Instructions: Sitting tall, turn head to one side and tip ear to the opposite shoulder. Rest hand on side of head and use to pull for an additional stretch.

Reps: 2

Hold: 30 seconds.

Frequency: 2x/day

Levator stretch

 

Instructions: Seated, turn head to one side and drop head forward-"smell your armpit". Rest same side hand on back of head and use it to pull for an additional stretch.

Reps: 2

Hold: 30 seconds.

Frequency: 2x/day

Prone press ups

 

Instructions: Lying on stomach with hands on floor at shoulder level. Slowly push upper body up off floor keeping pelvis in contact with floor. Keep buttocks relaxed and allow  low back to 'sag'.

Reps: 2

Hold: 30 seconds.

Frequency: 2x/day

Mid-back extensions

 

Instructions: Clasp hands together and gently place behind neck. Slowly lean backwards and bring elbows out and back.

Reps: 2

Hold: 30 seconds.

Frequency: 2x/day

General Rule:

20/20/20 rule- every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Josiah Thunshelle, PT