It's Tuesday morning.
8:45 a.m.
You arrive at work after an hour-long commute. You say your hellos, log in, answer emails, attend meetings, finish reports.
You glance at the clock.
12:00 p.m.
You haven't stood up once.
As you push your chair back, a thought crosses your mind.
"I shouldn't have waited this long."
You stand.
Your muscles tighten.
Your lower back begins to lock up.
The pain you've been trying to avoid is already here.
Looking back, I realize my body had been asking me to move long before my pain got worse. Small shifts in posture. Stiffness creeping into my back.
I just wasn't listening.
We don't move as much as previous generations. Between desk jobs, long commutes, and hours spent on our devices, many of us spend most of the day sitting. For someone living with chronic pain, that lack of movement can make everything a little harder.
Before I understood what was happening with my back, I noticed a pattern: the longer I stayed in one position, the more I hurt.
I always intended to get up regularly.
But work has a way of making hours disappear.
Before you know it, three hours have become five.
During that time, one thing that made a remarkable difference was my Apple Watch. I have it set to remind me to stand every hour if I haven't done so. Along with the HÅG Capisco chair and a standing desk prescribed by my doctor, those three tools helped me become more aware of my posture, my movement, and - most importantly - the cues my body was trying to send me.
They didn't take the pain away.
It was still there.
It still is.
But they helped keep me from making it worse.
And when you live with chronic pain, a day that's a little less painful is a good day.