A pro-health community physiotherapist, Mrs. Opeyemi Bakre, has advised deskbound professionals, who are most of the times physically inactive, to always exercise to reduce pressure on their joints and lower backs.
Bakre, a private physiotherapist, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that the advice was meant for tailors, fashion designers, typists and drivers.
According to her, such activities such sewing, driving and typing may look like exercising, but they are not.
“Exercise is largely described as a structured, planned and time-bound event with a goal in mind.
“Fashion designers, tailors, dressmakers, typists and drivers spend several hours on their job schedules without exercising their bodies.
“These groups should, at least, be exercising twice a week because they spend several hours not being active physically.
“Also they have no idea that those hours spent sitting at their duty posts put a lot of pressures on their bodies’ lower backs and joints.
READ ALSO: UI hijab crisis: Court fixes June 25 for hearing of preliminary objection
“Repetitive strains on the parts of the human bodies when they occur can lead to further risks associated with muscle weakness, ligament sprain and more,’’ Bakre said.
The expert said that due to the nature of their works, tailors, typists and drivers spend most of their time bending thereby experiencing pains in their necks.
Bakre explained that the neck structures, which comprise the muscles and the ligaments, are connected to the shoulders.
She warned people who do sedentary works against engaging their bodies repeatedly without exercising them regularly.
Bakre said such bodies could become stiff and affect the owners.
She said people with micro-trauma injuries might not feel its initial effects, adding that such effects build up over time and thus become more pronounced.
Bakre urged those involved in deskbound activities to always consult physiotherapists or movement specialists to advise them on the right exercises to carry out.
She said a physiotherapist would design a routine that would incorporate stretches, strengthening and range of motion exercises for them along with postural education and breathing techniques.
READ ALSO: Queues as Ibadan Poly beefs up security
The physiotherapist said some deskbound actors that had overused their joints would likely experience Cervical and Lumber Spondylosis in their old ages.
Bakre said Cervical Spondylosis Is a general term for age-related wear and tear affecting the spinal disks in the neck.
“As the disks dehydrate and shrink, sedentary workers will begin to develop osteoarthritis – bony projections along the edges of their bones.
“This is a very common condition among professionals with rigid work schedules which worsens with age.
“Lumbar spondylosis brings up degeneration to the spine of the lower back,’’ she said. (NAN)
