Digital Health

As we move to a more online world, it is important to balance digital use with other activities in order to ensure a healthy lifestyle.  I feel that I am pretty good at this already.  However, with my recently beginning an online course, planning an online course to teach in the fall, and actually teaching an online course in the fall, I will have to spend more time at my computer.  This has made me thing about how to balance online time with other time and how to ensure that my online time does not lead to health problems.

Here is an image of my Google Calendar showing some of my upcoming activities for planning classes on the computer and time set aside for exercise and enjoyment away from the computer.  Hopefully, taking the time to schedule such things will help me keep a healthy lifestyle.

A couple of things that I have found.  I usually have good posture.  However, after I sit at a computer for awhile, my posture starts to deteriorate and I begin to lean forward and hunch my back.  To avoid this, I will make a point to sit at the computer no longer than 30 minutes straight.  If I get up, take a break, do something else, walk around, and come back, my posture stays good.  Sitting too long is bad for posture.

Second, sitting too long is bad period.  When I take my breaks, I will be sure to do something active (even if it is just walking the halls at school).

Technology is a great benefit for my own learning, my teaching, and my enjoyment.  However, I will limit my online time and purposefully take part in physical activity every day.  I will encourage my students to do the same.  This is more important for them to hear because many of them are gamers.  Online school work plus extended time for game play can easily make for too much sessile time.  I will encourage them to get up and about.

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