Brooks & Crowley July 2017

Get Up Offa That Thing! If You Want to Live More, Sit Less

“Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.” Those are the words of Dr. James Levine, who made headlines back in 2014 when he released the results of years of research into what’s really killing Americans. Just as cigarette use was killing Americans in droves back when the population still smoked, the prevalence of desk jobs is a huge health risk today. Humans, it turns out, are meant to be on their feet and on the go, just like our ancestors were. “We have created for ourselves a modern way of living that clashes with the way we’re meant to be,” Levine says.

We’ve seen that sitting can also lead to other health issues, like carpal tunnel syndrome, pinched nerves, and strained eyes and muscles. And if you’re not in good shape (because you sit all day at work), you’re more likely to get injured doing other activities in your life. Levine says that, ideally, you should spend four hours a day on your feet. Of course, that may not be an option for many of you, especially if you work a desk job. We recommend getting up at least once an hour and walking around for a few minutes. Even a trip to the water cooler is better than nothing!

But the real way to combat a sedentary job is to live an active life after hours. A lot of us want to plop down in front of the TV, but we’d be better off taking a long walk after work and spending some time cooking in the kitchen — on our feet, of course.

You can also go to a standing desk, or even a treadmill desk — which Levine invented.

Dear Diary ...

Why Keeping a Post-Accident Journal Helps Your Case

One of the most important things you can do after an injury — whether due to an auto accident, something that happened at work, or someone else’s negligence — is keep a regular diary of your injury and how it’s affecting your life. Start on page one with a detailed description of the accident and what you remember occurring. Write about the initial medical care, the long-term prognosis given by the physicians, and any further treatment you seek or will be seeking. Names, dates, and tracking numbers are all good to have written down. Then, every day, write about how your injury is affecting your life. Are you able to work? Does working make it hurt more? Does pain seem to be getting better or worse? Have you had trouble sleeping as a result of the injury? Don’t forget to write about your daily routine and how it’s been shaken up. If the

injury is inconveniencing you, explain how. Basically, write down everything the injury prevented you from doing that day. Were you unable to hold your child or grandchild? Unable to play sports or go dancing? Unable to go to the movies because you couldn’t sit still? The purpose of this diary is twofold. First, it’s good for you to have a record of your accident and your treatment for your own purposes. It’s likely you’ll need to consult names, dates, and specifics of that nature many times in the coming months, so it helps to have it all in one place. But the real benefit is that you’ll have a complete, dated record of every way the injury is affecting you. That way we can take it to the insurance company and show them what’s going on, ensuring the best possible result for your case.

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