Oh, my aches and pains. I need a break.

If you are like me and work behind a desk a good part of your work day, you might be experiencing some pain somewhere in your body, mainly legs, hips and back.

In a recent safety meeting I learned a few tips to assist some of us who do a lot of sitting at work or simply because our lifestyle has evolved. A lot of us have become more sedentary in an increasingly automated world.

That means a lot of things.

By sitting more, we tend to add a few pounds. As a result, our backs become more vulnerable to injury.

There are days I come home from my sitting position and sit some more, which doesn’t help matters. I love my recliner because it affords me a different sitting position than my office chair that takes the pressure off my back and legs.

Some of the tips for easing our back and other problems that lead to pain are to move about every 30 minutes, giving our backs, legs and rear ends a break from one position. This movement includes getting up and walking around.

Changing some of our general lifestyles can also reduce stress to our backs.

For all of us, this includes sleeping on a firm mattress, controlling our weight and getting some exercise.

For men, take that bulging wallet from the back pocket when sitting or driving to help reduce the onset of pain. After all, sitting should be more a pleasure than a pain.

I learned that sitting, especially slouching, is one of the most common positions during our waking hours. True story and I can’t counter that one.

I’m guilty.

It also happens to be one of the worst positions for our backs, by putting continuous pressure on the lower back muscles and disks.

I now know that I should be sitting in a chair that supports the length and width of my back, one that also has adjustable armrests and a seat height that can also be adjusted. I am looking for that chair right now. When I find it, I will know it is the one.

Sitting smart is also imperative; sitting close to your work and not slumping forward. Oh my gosh, I’m catching myself as I type. Stop that, sit back, I’m telling myself.

Okay, we all tend to just do what we do without paying attention to how we are sitting while typing or doing whatever at the desk.

The keyboard’s work height and angle also plays an important part in relieving stress on our backs since stress leads to pain.

The surface work space should be at elbow level. I’ve been told this before and tend to forget about it until the pain begins to remind me that something is wrong.

That computer screen top area should be at eye level, I’m told. How about those of us out in the work force who sit in a vehicle all day long, driving from one destination to the other for long periods of time with few breaks from the constant vibration that adds additional stress on the spine?

The tips for relief include positioning the seat forward so that your knees are bent. If the seat’s tilt can be adjusted, change the angle slightly every so often.

What helps is placing a cushion at the small of my back and sitting in a slightly reclining angle to ease pressure on my back while driving.

Stopping periodically and getting out of the vehicle and walking around every hour or so also helps with back stress from driving.