Staying sedentary for long periods can take a toll on your body, but these tricks to beat "sitting disease" can help reverse the damage

Sitting side effect: Neck pain

Craning your neck to read a computer screen can strain your spine. Keeping your head 30 degrees in front of your body requires three to four times more muscle than holding it straight, says Scott Bautch, DC, DACBOH, CCST, CCSP, president of the American Chiropractic Association’s Council on Occupational Health. Fight it: Position your computer so the middle of the screen is level with your chin, which will encourage you to keep your neck in a neutral position, Bautch says. If centering it isn’t realistic, improve your posture by elevating your computer or TV rather than positioning it so you have to look down. Turning up the brightness could also help if you find yourself straining to see the screen, Bautch says.