"Kat Keane" BiziNet™ Articles

Q: I have arthritis and I get sore and stiff from yard and house hold work; I thought physical activity was good for me, so why do I feel sore or stiff after physical activity?

A: Whether we do it because we like it - or because we have to - housework and yard work can cause soreness, stiffness, and pain to flare up, leaving us wondering why or if we should engage in such physical activity again.

For many people it's been a tough year to say the least. More than ever people are looking forward to 2020 ending and starting a new in 2021. It's understandable to want to forget and move on from the events of 2020, but let's do it safely. Figure 1 (below) outlines a few personal considerations going into the "Silly Season". Essentially, the Silly Season is about having a break from the pressures of work and spending quality time doing whatever it is that makes you happy.

Is posture important? In the context of sitting at a desk all day, let's just say it isn't as important as we once thought. In fact, the focus should be less on ergonomics, postural assessments and training, and more on movement, challenging and changing pre-existing ideas of posture through education and improving locus of control. Let me explain.

It's normal to feel stressed at work from time to time. But for some people, the stress becomes all-consuming, leading to mental and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and ineffectiveness in the workplace. This is known as burnout. Burnout is not classified as a medical condition, however, burnout is included in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon. The inclusion of occupation burnout in the ICS-11 reflects that burnout is a work-based syndrome caused by chronic stress, validates its existence and thus can inform research and treatment.

Sedentary activity contributes to approximately 80% of time at work. This statistic is a reflection of how work life has changed since the introduction of the "technology age"; there are a lot more "desk jobs" than ever before. As a result, workplace productivity, health and wellbeing is significantly affected.