| 10 HEALTHY SPINE TIPS FOR SITTING IN A SENATE SEAT Senate transactions are meant to be collegial and cooperative, but impeachment can cause increased stress on the body, and ultimately be a pain in the back and neck! The seats in the senate are not always the most comfortable. With 80% of Americans suffering from back pain, the thought of 12 hours of meeting can be discouraging. Luckily, the pain associated with sitting in a senate seat can be greatly reduced, and in many cases avoided.American author, Dr. Ken Hansraj, an orthopedic spine surgeon, offers these sitting tips to help keep your spine comfortable and healthy while sitting on a senate seat: Check Your Posture: Sitting for prolonged periods can strain your back, and your positioning can make it even worse. To provide yourself with the most relief, make sure your back is aligned against the back of the seat. Keep your shoulders straight and avoid rounding forward. Both feet should be firmly resting on the floor Smart Preparation: Reduce the stress in the senate seat by planning ahead. Properly fitted suits and dresses made of lightweight, comfortable, breathable materials make all the difference in the world. Light-weight, properly fitted materials diminish the stresses all day. Ill-fitted clothes will hurt in the morning and worsen as the day goes on. Travel Light: Resist the urge to over-pack and reduce the stress on your shoulders and spine. Choose a light briefcase, backpack or a travel bag with wheels and a handle for rolling.Tilts: Consider placing a small lumbar support pillow or rolled up sweater or jacket to be placed behind your back. Keep your head centered looking fairly much straight ahead. It’s all in the legs: Keep your legs out in the extended position. The bent or flexed position leads to your leg veins being stagnant and may lead to a blood clot. It is important to get up and walk, stretching the legs and arms at least once an hourStretch: When all else fails keep moving! Simple stretches of the neck, shoulders, and back will help keep the blood flowing. Blood brings important nutrients and oxygen to the structures of the back. This helps to stimulate the soft tissues in your back and keeps them from stiffening, which can reduce aches. Even a few seconds of stretching and moving is better than not doing anything at all! Breathe: Place your hands on your abdominal area and feel your belly move as you inhale and exhale. Do this as many times a day as possible to improve your posture and overall spinal health.Intention: Realize that the senate is the world’s greatest deliberative body. Watch your intentions. “I am participating in American history” is a better intention than “Ugh, I’m a prisoner on this seat.”Best Hours: Face it! Some of our best hours of our lives are spent at work. Be thoughtful about it. Choose a sitting posture that is safe, ergonomic, comfortable and that is pain-free. See Opportunity in Delays: Expect delays. Look for the opportunities to practice deep belly breathing in good posture. Anger and frustration lead to shallow breathing, stiff muscles and pain. |
About Dr. Kenneth K. Hansraj:
American author Dr. Ken Hansraj is the author of the internationally bestselling book, Keys to an Amazing Life: Secrets of the Cervical Spine, (January, 2013), which he was inspired to write to help people globally understand matters about the spine. Dr. Hansraj is also the author of Bloodless Spine Surgery: Pictures and Explanations. His goal with each of his books is to bring years of accumulated expert medical knowledge to the public at-large in an easy-to digest format and to help countless individuals with ongoing spinal and health issues.
Dr. Ken Hansraj is TV and media trained and has extensive experience with national outlets such as CNN, HLN, CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, NPR and has been featured globally. Cision® estimates his current media impressions at 9+ Billions.
