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Sit straight to keep active for long

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By Mohd Asim Khan

New Delhi:  Have you been feeling persistent or recurrent pain in the lower back of late? You are not alone. Lower back pain affects one out of 10 people worldwide, causes more disability around the world than any other condition and accounts for a third of all work-related disability, according to a study.

Though the reasons could be varied, one of the important contributing factors behind the nagging back pain is the incorrect posture, experts say.

Which means that you can considerably cut the chances of back and neck pain and other allied illnesses by maintaining the correct posture while sitting or standing.

But how would one know that the correct posture is being maintained while sitting in a chair?

“Good posture mainly refers to maintaining your body in a correct alignment with respect to gravity so that the body structures such as ligaments, muscles are in the least stressed position,” sports therapist Megha Bhatnagar of AktivOrtho told.

In the modern urban lifestyle, where white-collar jobs require people to sit for long hours, it is imperative to take good care of spine health. One of the least interventionist and easiest first steps is to maintain the right posture while sitting.

According to a Sydney School of Public Health study, the highest rates of disability due to back pain are found in Asia and parts of Africa.

“Improper posture in the long-term can give rise to chronic neck and low back problems. Therefore, it is very important to maintain a good posture whilst sitting and standing,” Raju Vaishya, senior orthopaedic consultant at the Indraprastha Apollo hospital here, told .

The right posture decreases stress on ligaments and muscles holding the spine in an erect position, reduces abnormal wear and tear of the joints, eases strain on the muscles and thus prevents neck pain, back pain, shoulder and knee pain and the like.

What then is the correct sitting posture in a chair?

“Sit up with your back straight and your shoulders back. Your buttocks should touch the back of your chair. All three normal back curves should be present while sitting,” Bhatnagar suggested.

“A small, rolled-up towel or a lumbar roll can be used to help you maintain the normal curves in your back,” she added.

To achieve the right sitting position, sit at the end of your chair and slouch completely. Then draw yourself up and accentuate the curve of your back as far as possible. Hold for a few seconds. Release the position slightly (about 10 degrees). This is a good sitting posture, according to Bhatnagar.

“While sitting in a chair, keep your knees even with or slightly higher than your hips. Your legs should not be crossed,” she advised.

According to Yashpal Singh Bundela, senior neurosurgery consultant at the BLK Super Speciality Hospital here, one should not sit in one position for more than 30 minutes.

“Also, you should adjust the height of your chair so that your thighs come in a parallel position to the floor,” Bundela told IANS.

Besides, there are a few more precautions that experts say one should always keep in mind. For example, when sitting in a chair that rolls and pivots, don’t twist at the waist while sitting. Instead, turn your whole body.

Similarly, when standing, do so by straightening your legs. Avoid bending forward at your waist.

“Try and go to your colleague’s desk and discuss rather than over the inter-com or through chat,” Bhatnagar said.

One can also use backrests available in the market. “Backrests can give sufficient support to the lower back and are especially useful for people who cannot keep their back and buttocks splinted against the chair at all times,” Vaishya said.

Also, it is important to have a good chair. Poor furniture does not provide ample support to back and thighs and thus, poorly designed chairs may create problems in the long run, experts warned.

Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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