Im sittinng down all day long. I cant do it anymore!!! My back hurts so much, the fat on my legs hurt. Im in pain. Im not sure what I can do about it though. I cant walk around on my lunch break, because I cant get all sweaty and its not really that safe where I work, and they advised us not to be alone outside and to be cautious of people you dont recognize. Im not sure what to do I just know that it hurts. Any suggestions???

First and foremost, I would see a doctor about your back pain. I sit all day as well at work. I was having a lot of pain in my lower back, and pain in my right leg that shot down to the knee. After finally finding a doctor that would listen, I got an MRI and found that I had two bulging discs in my back. One was pushing on the nerve, hence the pain in my leg. So I would highly recommend that you rule out any other physical possibilities for the pain. Other than that, have you ever tried doing some exercises at your desk? I think those exercise balls are GREAT to sit on at your desk. They help strengthen your core muscles at the same time.

Hey staciec,

Tell us more specifics about your work--what do you do? Do you have breaks at regular times when you can at least stand up and move a bit? What kind of chair do you sit in? What's the problem with going for a walk where you work?

Jay

I just do general office things basically payroll. I dont usually have breaks but I do have to get up every so often and walk out to my car, I usually just walk out there and back. I sit in a awful chair. Awful!!! I should check with bringing my own chair in, or having them replace it. Its just Im basically out in the middle of nowhere in a bad neighbor. If something were to happen, they can just dump you out here no one would ever no, and noone can hear your screams. Yeah just a little scary. But everything is very secure inside, everything stays lock, and I have a emergency button. But its when you get outside, its just bad.

OK, first thing is, you should ask about getting a different chair. A bad chair could lead to serious back problems. If necessary, you could get a doctor to evaluate your back and recommend a change of chair. Or, you could ask if you could bring your own chair. In some cases, even a folding chair with a good cushion is better than a bad office chair. Experiment with back supports--sometimes the ones that go in a car seat will help, or a wedge cushion for the seat.

Second of all, you should get up every hour and do mild stretches and move. Be careful with that--ask your doctor for some recommendations as well. And walk to the restroom or the break room and back again.

It will also help to walk more when you're at home--before you go to work or after. Of course, if you're in really bad pain when you walk, don't do it.

I hope you can change your situation!

Jay

I agree about getting a new office chair. You can always start murmuring about workers comp if you want to make them nervous.

Here is a good site about how to set up your desk ergonomically. A good chair is part of it, but you also have to position it properly. http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/ergoguide.html