Preventing Repetitive Stress Injuries With Simple Exercises At Your Desk!

Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) are injuries which occur as a result of how we repetitively use our bodies when engaging in tasks such as sitting at a desk and typing on a computer keyboard. Although carpal tunnel syndrome is the most well-known RSI, other injuries such as cubital tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow are also very common, as are injuries to the rotator cuff of the shoulder.

RSI's are incredibly common, and a 1998 report by the National Academy of Sciences concluded that RSI's were a serious national problem, so serious that their combined financial costs were estimated at more than $20 billion annually in lost productivity and other expenses.

If you would like to help prevent yourself from developing RSI's, we have discovered an excellent website that clearly walks you through a series of exercises designed to prevent these injuries from occuring. The website "My Daily Yoga" has a page dedicated to RSI's, and you can access it by clicking here. The exercises are simple, designed to be performed in the office, and focus on the neck, back, forearms, wrists, and fingers. If you're shy about doing them alone, ask a colleague or coworker to do them with you. In fact, maybe your entire office will agree to take part in a ten-minute session during your daily coffee breaks! And if you want even more "desk yoga" exercises, click here for another excellent series.

Taking care of yourself while at work will give you many benefits beyond the work day, and preventing work-related injuries is an excellent way to practice preventive health care without even having to leave the office!