Women Over Forty: Taking A Stand Is A Sitting Matter
Woman over forty are a force of nature. They are working mothers, entrepreneurs and housekeepers all rolled into one. They are specialists in family dispute mitigation, project planning and organization. And that’s just in the home. What this segment of women deal with in the office isn’t always nearly as challenging, but it can be unhealthy to their bodies.
When women spend hours of their workday posed in the ubiquitous generic seating of their work environment to plug away at the computer or pore over documents at a desk, their body takes the toll. Enter the importance of ergonomic seating for women over forty.
Take Your Spinal Health Sitting Down
Why a special concern for women over forty? This is the age when women begin to experience bone and muscle loss. They start to notice the wear and tear of motherhood and daily demands on their joints. These are given facts of life, but the concern for the “mature” woman is that many ergonomic chairs are designed based on the body and proportional requirements of the male species.
This can be remedied by the proper use and adjustment of an ergonomic chair. Everyone should pay special attention to how they are sitting, but this is especially true for those of the fairer sex who have reached the upper side of forty. Now that they’ve approached the precipice of menopause and are experiencing the related physical changes, their bodies are more susceptible to injury.
Take particular heed to the lumbar support of the chair
This is most important for the health and proper positioning of the spine. With its natural curve, the spine takes quite a bit of abuse from sitting. Without proper support, we naturally want to slump over to conform to the task at hand, be it working at the computer or desk.
Although anyone over forty is at a higher risk of back injury, this is especially true for women due to the encroaching loss of bone and muscle. According to Liz Sworden, Director of Marketing for BioFit Engineered Products, slumping can result in kyphosis, the bending of the spine opposite its natural position.1
To prevent slumping and the resulting injuries that may occur, it is especially imperative for women whose bodies are progressively maturing to adjust the lumbar support for proper ergonomic benefits. The lumbar support should stick out approximately two inches for optimum lower back support.
As with any profession that requires personal protection equipment (PPE), an ergonomic chair should be considered standard PPE for women over forty who sit for long periods of time. It can go a long way toward your body’s musculoskeletal health and prevent future injury.
If you are female, forty and work at home or outside the home, making an investment in an ergonomic chair is making an investment in your health. Standing up for your health issues at work is a formative step in the right direction. Don’t take your health sitting down.