PSA on "Killer Chairs" updated 12.12.16

A quick break from posting to bring you this PSA (Public Service Announcement) for artists and everyone who spends most of the day in a chair.

It's an article from Scientific American. "Killer Chairs -- How Desk Jobs Ruin Your Health" by James Levine.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/killer-chairs-how-desk-jobs-ruin-your-health/

Sitting is the new smoking. Decades ago, nearly everyone smoked all the time... and then we all learned how deadly it was.

Sitting is the same threat. Make the time to take care of yourself, so you can continue to produce your art. Apply oxygen mask to yourself before assisting others. It's a truth of basic survival (esp. at high altitudes :)

More info also on "Yoga for Artists" posts here on the blog. These include simple stretches to try:
http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2015/06/yoga-lesson-2-upper-body-stretches.html


UPDATE July 16, 2105
Study indicates prolonged sitting increases cancer risk for women..
http://www.womenyoushouldknow.net/ladies-are-you-sitting-science-finds-too-much-seat-time-increases-our-cancer-risk/
and here is link for more info on one of these studies by Dr. Alpha Patel for the American Cancer Society
http://pressroom.cancer.org/index.php?s=43&item=257&_ga=1.140377456.239091853.1437070060

UPDATE AUGUST 3, 2015
Video from Business insider... The perfect chair..
https://www.facebook.com/businessinsider/videos/10152991520034071/

UPDATE AUGUST 20, 2015
"Animators Guide to Health and Wellness, Part 1" Post from "Flooby Nooby" animation blog with lots of photo reference and diagrams for stretches specifically to help artists avoid repetitive motion injuries...
http://floobynooby.blogspot.fr/2015/07/animators-guide-to-health-and-wellness.html?m=1

UPDATE SEPT 7, 2015
"Desk Diseases Medical Guidebook from 1826" via the Medical Heritage Foundation Library.
It's not just a modern-day problem...https://archive.org/details/treatiseondeskdi00wall

UPDATE NOV 14, 2015
"Text Neck is becoming an Epidemic" https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/11/20/text-neck-is-becoming-an-epidemic-and-could-wreck-your-spine/?postshare=341447365134498&tid=ss_fb

UPDATE NOV 19, 2015

Artists discuss their injuries from drawing....

"When Comics Hurt" http://comicsalliance.com/artists-drawing-injuries/

UPDATE DEC 2, 2015

"A Simple Pose to Counter Tech Neck"https://yogainternational.com/article/view/a-simple-pose-to-counter-tech-neck

Easy steps to try... in your chair or at your desk.. to get release from Tech Neck.

UPDATE DEC 16, 2015

Article on iPhone use effect on posture.. from NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/opinion/sunday/your-iphone-is-ruining-your-posture-and-your-mood.html?smid=fb-nytwell&smtyp=cur&_r=0
Illustration by Tim Lahan.. NY Times

UPDATE JAN 13, 2016

"Exercising at Your Desk (and other tortures)" blog post by Arthur Slade

http://arthurslade.com/wp/index.php/2016/01/13/exercising-at-your-desk-and-other-tortures/

UPDATE FEB 28, 2016

Link from UCreative.com with tips and stretches to help with carpal tunnel syndrome..

http://www.ucreative.com/lifestyle/preventing-and-treating-carpal-tunnel-syndrome/

chart of tendon gliding exercises from fadavis.com

UPDATE APRIL 8, 2016

article "This 'Muscle of the Soul may be triggering your fear and anxiety".. by Dylan from website The Earth Child. http://theearthchild.co.za/this-muscle-of-the-soul-may-be-triggering-your-fear-anxiety/

Info on this important muscle deep in the body.. that gets chronic stress from long-term sitting..

Trapped in a constant “flight or fight” state, psoas muscles are stressed and constricted, almost from the time of birth. As Koch notes, “this situation is exacerbated by many things in our modern lifestyle, from car seats to constrictive clothing, from chairs to shoes that distort our posture, curtail our natural movements and further constrict our psoas.” This lifelong chronic stress put on the psoas can lead to many problems like back, hip, or knee pain, and even digestive issues and dysfunctional breathing. It could also be a major cause why people suffer from chronic physical pain.

UPDATE MAY 20, 2016

Learn more about the Psosas and neighboring anatomy with this quiz...
http://www.dailybandha.com/2016/05/quickquiz-6-anatomy-and-biomechanics-of.html
And here's a link to a simple restorative option to help release the psoas... from You Tube post on Yoga for Low Back Health by Julian Walker

UPDATE JUNE 2, 2016

TED animation on "The Hidden Risks of Sitting"
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-sitting-is-bad-for-you-murat-dalkilinc?

These links might inspire a desire to look into creating a standing work station....

Wall Street Journal article "Price We Pay For Sitting Too Much"
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-price-we-pay-for-sitting-too-much-1443462015

UPDATE JUN 7, 2016

You Tube clip from ASAP Science.. "How is Your Phone Changing You?"...Text Neck anyone?

UPDATE DEC 12, 2016

Ninja yoga you can do in your chair... no one will know!
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/secret-yoga-asana-you-can-do-from-a-chair-anywhere