After a long day of working from home, most people feel sore in their back. What they don't realize is that it is a direct result of how they have been positioned all day.
If you're working from home these days, your home office setup is critical to ensuring you are protected from soreness at the end of the day or long term injury
Your workstation either at home or at work is the place where some powerful ideas come to fruition and where your productivity soars. It could also be the place where you find the source of your joint pain.
Imagine the amount of strain that is placed on your body while simultaneously sitting in a chair, lurching over the keys of your computer while at the same time balancing a phone between your shoulder and ear.
Did you know that full-time workers do that for over two thousand hours each year?
Consider these tips to help pain-proof your office or workstation.
1. Choose the right chair
Make sure your longterm solution to working from home isn't just any old chair at the kitchen table or slumped over their laptop on their couch.
Finding a comfortable and supportive chair is just as important as finding a good quality mattress. Remember you going to be using it for about two thousand hours a year. That's a lot of sitting.
You have to make sure you’re comfortable. You don’t want to have anything that is lacking in support for your lower back and you should also make sure that you are able to adjust the seat height. Your feet should always be resting flat on the floor so your knees are level with your hips.
You could always skip the quest to find the perfect chair and instead go for a standing desk instead. This option has been proven to help you avoid many of the consequences associated with prolonged sitting.
2. Think about how your equipment affects your health.
Computer monitors should always be visible without having to lean in or strain your body in any way. The top line of type should be roughly 15 degrees below eye level. This helps you maintain proper posture and prevent straining your neck by looking down.
You can also use audio equipment that keeps you from bending your neck (i.e., Bluetooth, speakerphones, headsets). You are able to avoid carpal tunnel symptoms by making sure that your wrists are not forced to bend to use the keyboard. In general, your forearms and wrists should not be leaning on a hard edge.
3. Take regular breaks throughout the day
Taking a 10-second break every 20 minutes can be extremely beneficial. Standing, walking, or moving your head in a “plus sign” fashion are a few ideas to keep loose. And remember not to be afraid to stretch.
One exercise we often recommend is called the “Bruegger Relief Stretch”. Click here to learn how it’s done.
Whether you are working from home Preventative care is always the best solution for workstation injuries. Small adjustments to your workstation and posture will make a noticeable difference in how your body feels during your workday. Download this helpful infographic to learn more about proper workstation set-up.
