How Massage Therapy Can Offset Desk Job Physical Issues
Over the last 25 years, there has been a major shift in the ways Americans work. The country has gone from a major manufacturing participant to a country that is more service oriented. This has had an impact on the health of American workers who are spending a lot more of their work time sitting behind a desk and in front of a computer.
The truth is humans were not made to be physically inactive. Our bodies are built to stay active for optimum performance. When denied the ability to move about freely, the human body tends to start breaking down.
Let’s take a look at the impact of work inactivity and how massage therapy could be the cure for the physical issues that might occur.
The Physical Impact of Working a Desk Job
We all have to do what is necessary to secure a home and keep our families fed. For a lot of people in modern America, that means having to sit behind a desk in front of a computer day after day. To be very clear, this is not a healthy way for people to live.
The one thing most people don’t realize is how physical inactivity impacts the human body. Rest assured, there are no health benefits related to sitting behind a desk for a desk job every day. In case you have not taken a moment to consider the negative effects of having a desk job, take a look at this list:
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased sugar levels that could lead to diabetes
- Accumulation of body fat, resulting in unhealthy weight gain
- Impairment of the body’s immune response
- Higher risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer
- Unhealthy cholesterol levels
- Sleep issues
- Back and neck pain
- Joint and muscle pain
- Lack of blood flow that leads to sleepiness and lack of concentration
If you look closely at this list, it might occur to you that these possible issues create risks to your health and overall quality of life. Those are big prices to pay while trying to make a living.
Ways to Combat the Physical and Mental Effects of a Desk Job
Clearly, having a desk job can hurt your health. The problem is you have to work and if working behind a desk is part of that responsibility, you are effectively “caught between a rock and a hard place.” What should you do to combat this problem?
If the demands of your job include having to be behind a desk, you need to find ways to include some kind of physical movement in your daily activities. Here are some suggestions that are worthy of consideration:
- Limit sitting to no more than 30 minutes at a time
- During phone calls, take the opportunity to stand and stretch
- Suggest outdoor walks during small business meetings
- Use lunchtime for some type of physical activity
- Schedule regular visits to a professional massage therapist
Of the options on this list, it’s the last one on which we want to focus. All of the other options are more like temporary fixes to what could end up being major physical problems. Only regular visits to a professional massage therapist would stand as a viable long-term solution.
How Massage Therapy Can Help Protect Office Workers From Physical Problems
While the other aforementioned options for combatting desk job-related inactivity are easy and free, seeing a massage therapist might come at a financial cost. “Might” refers to the possibility your healthcare insurance might cover some or all of the costs associated with seeing a professional massage therapist.
Whether you have to pay for therapy or not, the costs would very likely be justified because of the positive impact it would have on your health. How can a massage therapist make a difference?
In almost all cases, massage therapists have one major objective. They want to improve the flow of healthy blood throughout the human body. It is the oxygen-rich blood that serves as the oil that keeps the body functioning at the highest levels possible.
As a massage therapist goes about working their magic, they are moving muscles and joints around. This helps free up the veins and arteries that are charged with providing an adequate flow of healthy blood throughout the body. By healthy blood, we are referring to blood that has lots of oxygen, plus the appropriate amount of red and white blood cells.
In case you are wondering, here are some of the potential ways a massage therapist can help keep a “desk jockey’s” body in tune:
- Improved immune response
- Pain relief in muscle and joints
- Improved ability to concentrate throughout the day
- Improvement in attitude
- Improved ability to sleep at night
If your job does demand you spend a lot of time behind a desk, it’s up to you to do whatever is necessary to minimize the impact of body inactivity. You are now armed with a few suggestions that could really help you if you use them.
If you are interested in seeing a reliable and professional massage therapist as part of your solution package, set up an appointment online.
