Karen Moore, PTA at Milpitas Physical Therapy Clinic, is a guest contributor for today’s posting.

Ergonomics is the science of understanding the interactions among humans and the principles, data, and methods for optimizing human well-being and overall system performance while working.

Your chair needs to have good lumbar support. It’s most helpful if this lumbar support is adjustable. Most ergonomic chairs do have an adjustable mechanism, but on many standard office chairs, the lumbar support is not adjustable.

Many people end up using conference room chairs because they’re more comfortable than their current chair; however, these chairs do not usually have adjustable arms, good lumbar back support, or the waterfall feature for the legs. Having adjustable arms is important—they will give you the option of keeping your arms low if you need to get closer to your work surface. You’ll also be able to adjust them so that your elbows, forearms, and wrists can be positioned at approximately 90°, parallel with the floor.

Your chair should have a waterfall feature and side contours in the seat. The waterfall feature of the chair will allow better blood flow through your legs. By increasing your blood flow, you will help reduce leg discomfort and tiredness.

Your feet should be supported. When your feet are hanging, tucked under your chair, or you’re sitting on them, they often fall asleep. This is bad for your general circulation and the blood supply to your feet. Using an adjustable footrest will not only give your feet support but also a little bit of exercise. Your feet do not have to always be on the footrest; they can be up against it as well, which will still help give you some support.

All of these points are important in selecting the correct ergonomic chair for you. Your chair should have a 5 pedestal or caster base, it should be height adjustable, it should have good lumbar support, an adjustable arm rest, and your seat should still feel comfortable after two hours. You should go out to an office supply store and check out all the different ergonomic office chairs to see which one feels best for you.

Loss of balance, strength, and overall function associated with advancing age are often met with anxiety, fear, and depression. Many of my patients express these feelings to me. It is often assumed advancing age is the problem. Be careful of making that assumption! In most cases it is incorrect.

Although it’s true that loss of muscle strength is associated with advancing age, it’s also true that the ability to restore and improve strength does not diminish with age. In fact, the older and weaker a person is when they begin a strengthening program, the faster they improve. This seems hard to believe, but amazingly it’s true.

Losses in function occur more from inactivity than age. Sadly, most exercisers are young people. It seems our performance-oriented culture views exercise as a competitive venture rather than a way of maintaining health and function. Strengthening exercises carried out properly by avoiding pain and excess fatigue do wonders for balance and overall function.

If you are interested in an in-depth discussion of this topic, check out this great article titled “Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults” in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Volume 30, Number 6, June 1998. If you have trouble locating this article, please stop by my office and I will share a copy with you.

It’s a challenge to engage in all of the components of a Balanced Exercise Program. Lack of time is the main reason we don’t do what is necessary to improve our strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility.

One way to exercise more efficiently is to exercise outdoors instead of in the gym. Why? Because when we exercise outside, we do more than one type of exercise at a time. Without necessarily knowing it, when we exercise outside, we improve our balance along with our endurance and strength.

The reason is that exercises like walking on uneven ground, jogging on the sidewalk, riding a bike, and cross-country skiing improve balance more than riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill. Sitting while exercising on a weight machine improves strength, but it does nothing to improve balance. Hiking up and down hills improves both strength and balance.

My wife and I live in a condo where a lot of people exercise in a gym on cardio equipment. On sunny days, I am sometimes tempted to interrupt exercisers and suggest they go outside and enjoy the benefits of two types of exercise for the same amount of time, while enjoying some sunshine all the while.

Gyms are good when the weather is bad, but here in northern California, that is not often the case. Plus, exercise outside is more fun.

“If you are reading this sitting down, you might consider standing up.”

This is a quote from a Wall Street Journal article last week called “TV Linked to Higher Risk of Death.”

For years I have advised my patients to avoid prolonged sitting—especially sitting at a computer. Why? Because we know prolonged sitting causes spine problems. But now new research shows that prolonged sitting can also undo the good effects of regular exercise, and it can affect the body’s processing of fats. This can lead to an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and possibly early death.

More reason to break up your sitting with periods of standing, even if for a few minutes each hour. I recommend setting a timer for one hour or less and stand up for five to 10 minutes whenever the timer rings. I also recommend breaking up your day with walking and, if possible, some other exercises. Not only will your spine be healthier, but your whole system will work better.

Last month I wrote a posting on willpower and new year’s resolutions. I discussed how our willpower is naturally limited by the limitations of our own brains, and how gradually building good exercise habits is the only way to sustain an exercise program over time. These good habits are important, but what if the exercises you are doing are not what your body needs the most. If the exercises you are doing result in joint pain, posture problems, excess fatigue, or other problems, you may be in the habit of doing the wrong types of exercises.

Often physical therapy is necessary for specific health problems, but physical problems occur because of poor exercise habits too. Habits like only doing aerobic exercises when muscle weakness is a problem, or only doing stretching exercises when you have a problem with balance are examples.

Generally speaking, to achieve optimal function, a balanced exercise program is recommended. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a balanced program of four kinds of exercise. They include:

1. Aerobic exercise
2. Balance exercise
3. Flexibility exercise
4. Resistance exercise

As we age, engaging in a balanced exercise program becomes increasingly important if we are to achieve optimal physical function. I will discuss specific strategies to achieve better function through exercise in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible begins the third chapter with: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” I think this is especially relevant for the month of January, because the holiday season is now past, and it’s time for many things to begin anew. For example, the pruning season of fruit trees that have been dormant for several months will soon begin. Baseball season starts in a few months, and many players will be restarting their training. And for most of us, it’s time to reorient ourselves away from holiday mode, and back to business as usual again.

What does the changing of seasons have to do with exercise? The answer: a lot. Our bodies need periodic rests to maintain optimal function. Studies show that even highly motivated people who start an exercise program seldom sustain it if they do not allow their bodies to rest. The February 2010 issue of Runners World Magazine contains an excellent article titled “The Slow Road.” The author discusses the importance of slowing down when engaging in exercise. I recommend a practice called Exercise Periodization to ensure the benefits of rest are incorporated into a fitness program.

When January hits, my body likes me to take it a little easier with my exercise program. I usually gain a pound or two during this time of year, and I am a little less active. As the days gets longer and the sun shines brighter (usually the second week of February), I am back to my full exercise program workouts again. I have discovered this period of less exercise makes sustaining my exercise program over time much easier.

The latest neuroscience research suggests that the act of exerting willpower is like exercising a very small muscle. The part of the brain that controls willpower is called the prefrontal cortex. It’s small and tires out very fast after just a little bit of exertion (exercise). That’s why exerting willpower when beginning or continuing an exercise program doesn’t work very well. Our brains get tired fast when we continuously exert willpower, especially if it’s been a while since we’ve done this sort of mental exertion.

This same small part of our brain (the prefrontal cortex) controls things like New Year’s resolutions or avoiding sweets and junk food. Based upon the experiences of most of us, it certainly makes sense that this is a small muscle!

Gradually developing moderate exercise habits over time is the only effective way to overcome the weak willpower we humans naturally posses. Weak willpower is not a character issue. It’s an issue of having a naturally small part of the brain that is only able to maintain a limited amount of willpower control.

This article in the Wall Street Journal has an excellent article about this if you are interested in a more in-depth discussion about willpower and human behavior.

So, if your willpower to exercise is weak, blame it on your brain.

Happy New Year!

Most of us have difficulty making time for our exercise program during the holidays in between parties, shopping, work, and family gatherings. Our commitment to exercise consistently is sometimes compromised during this time of year, and it is common to notice that our endurance has diminished and our muscles have become weaker. Sometimes this awareness can have a negative impact on our motivation to continue exercising after the holidays are over.

One easy way to maintain our motivation to exercise during the holidays and beyond is to view this as a time for exercise periodization, or for taking a short exercise break. This break time can have a positive impact on your program, and it allows more time for holiday cheer.

Enjoy yourself now and remember—it is okay to lose a little strength during this time. It will all come back once you start your normal exercise routine again.

Happy Holidays!

During the last few weeks, I have provided the “blueprint” for restoring strength and function by doing isometric resistance exercise. Below is a list of the tools I believe are necessary to do the job:

Two foam cervical rolls. These rolls help maintain stress-free spine positions and may be used for the neck or lower back.  Rolled-up towels also work but not as well as foam cervical rolls. You can order cervical rolls here.

A gym ball. The 55-cm size is the right size for most people. If you are over 6-feet tall, a 65-cm gym ball may work best. These gym balls are available at most department stores like Walmart or Target, and at most sporting goods stores.

A small timer. A small kitchen timer works well, or a small sports timer.

An exercise mat.

Hand weights. A set of two, 1-pound weights and a set of two, 3-pound weights works well. Weighted balls are good for hand comfort.

A Bosu exercise half ball. This exercise device may be used as a substitute for a gym ball. It is more stable and better for certain exercises than a gym ball, though it is less affordable. You can order a Bosu here.

A half foam roll or a folded beach towel. This is sometimes recommended to support the lower back when doing some exercises. You can order a half foam roll here.

Many exercisers use their minds to determine their exercise intensity. For example, a determined attitude, a competitive attitude, a mentally focused attitude, or a “no pain, no gain” attitude drives some exercisers to increase their exercise intensity, which often results in joint pain and extreme fatigue. Other exercisers have relaxed and laid back attitudes about exercise, and they never develop the intensity necessary for positive results. Both approaches are determined by an exerciser’s mind, and neither works very well, especially for older exercisers and exercisers in pain.

An alternative is to listen to your body. Let your body tell you the exercise intensity it needs to improve strength and function, and to avoid pain. This may surprise you, but when engaging in resistance exercise, your body is very good at letting you know how much exertion it needs—as long as you listen to it.

Next time we will discuss how to listen to your body. Stay tuned.