Sitting Smarter

If you haven't been living under a rock these past couple months then you have probably heard that sitting is the new smoking. If you are working in an office at a software development job or some sort of work where you have to site for long periods of time, listen up. First of all, unlike smoking, sitting is not something that we can just give up so we have to find ways to be smarter about it. Make sure that you have your feet at hip width apart and your knees at hip height. Avoid crossing your knees or ankles because that can slow down blood flow and cause swelling. Maintain the natural curves of your spine -- don't try to straighten it. Also avoiding looking down too much as if texting because that puts a strain on your neck muscles. You should be mindful of your breathing because shallow breaths will feed bad posture. Lastly, it is very important to alternate sitting and standing because too much of either is not a good thing. One rule of thumb is that you should stand up every thirty minutes and walk for about five minutes.