Exercise to prevent office work from affecting you during old age  

There are so many things we take for granted as we work in office yet they end up affecting us in old age.  Take the sitting posture for instance which physician Dr. Atwine Diana says can lead to alignment which one may not notice until they are old.

"People who spent most of the time in office should exercise vigorously to awaken the muscles and ease blood circulation," she adds.

Atwine who is also a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of health, explains that old age is associated to  osteoporosis, a condition that weakens the bones especially in women after menopause; and thrombosis or blood clots, since, sitting for long hours slows down blood flow in legs, hence increasing the changes of clots.

Another threat which may result from sitting for long periods in a bad posture is backaches. Atwine cautions that the type of office chair one uses may determine how quickly one gets a backache.  

Dr. Charles Kasozi of Butabika Hospital in Kampala says a human back is in "S" shape but with time, the shape disappears due to sitting for so long in poor positions.

"This come along with backaches, swollen legs, an aching neck and chest pain," he explains.

He adds that prolonged use of computers at work places predisposes workers to poor sight. When you feel the light is irritating, use a protective screen.

Kassozi advises, office workers not to sit the whole day, rather spare some time and do exercises like walking around. After all immobility may increase harmful cholesterol in one's body.

Eating without exercising causes diseases like diabetes, pressure, heart problems and stroke.

He adds people notice such diseases in old age when it is too late. Do exercises that make you sweat, as such jogging or walking and play games like football.

Why we need to exercise

Robert Odhiambo, a Gym expert at Mt. Zion Hotel in Kampala says office people should do a lot of body stretching or flexibility stretch because they sit for long hours and in a bad posture.

He adds that one has to stretch their body from head to toe before starting to work and after, every day for at least five minutes.

"Stretch by rolling the waist anti-clock wise and clock wise, do side pulls right and left, three to five times. Squeeze your lower back while bending back and forward, it helps to relocates muscles," Odhiambo explains.   

After a long day of work, before setting off, do more body stretches like arm cycling clock wise and anti-clock wise, side arm rises to allow the flexibility of the joints on the shoulders.

Touch the ribs while stretching right and right, roll both foot up and down, clock wise and anti-clock wise.

Odhiambo advises office workers not to bend backward or forward while seated and that they should keep their feet flat on the ground.

"Sitting in a poor posture loads weight on a particular muscle like hip bone and low back muscle which leads to body imbalance," he says.

He adds that dozing, feeling tired while in office is an indication that the low back muscles are being affected due to limited flow of oxygen around the neck and spin cord.

Simple exercises to do:   

Stretching out

Knee lifts

Leg extensions

Hand stretching

Hip flexion

Punching the space

Back extensions