While the perks of working from home are manifold, there are some negative sides to it too. Sitting at a desk all day, or on the couch, can lead to sore or stiff necks and backs if you don’t maintain correct posture. Without adjustment, these can result in neck and lower back issues that can cause long term health issues.
By maintaining a few essential habits while you’re working from home, you can prevent spine conditions from materialising. Similarly, you can enjoy a comfortable working environment to the best of your abilities.
The most important aspect for maintaining a healthy home work environment is ensuring you have support for your spine while you are at your desk. You can maintain proper spine support by:
– Keeping the top of the screen at the top of your eyes
– Keeping the keyboard and mouse close enough to you so you do not have to reach for either
– Maintaining adequate knee room so that your legs aren’t bunched up under your desk
– Investing in a comfortable chair that properly supports your lower back
Essentially, you want to maintain a right angle with your body as you sit on your chair. To maximise comfort, your feet should be flat against the ground and your knees should be at right angles to the floor. Your back should be straight, lying flat against the back of the chair while you sit.
By keeping a perpendicular gaze upon the monitor you ensure your neck and back are relaxed. By doing this you ensure that you don’t strain your neck muscles while using a computer.
Another trick to maintaining motivation and focus while working from home, all the while avoiding spine troubles, is to not use the couch during work hours. It may be tempting to sit on the couch and work in your pyjamas, but this can be counterproductive to maintaining a healthy posture and productive work habits. Sitting on a couch in most cases forces your back to arch. This isn’t an ideal posture and can lead to a stiff neck and back, both which can develop into more serious problems.
Stand up for five minutes every hour to stretch the legs, back and neck. There are several stretches that you can do to alleviate pain that arises after sitting still for too long. Online yoga and Pilates classes are great options for relaxing the muscles.
If you have developed a serious condition, Dr Winder is there to help you find a solution. Call us today on (02) 8382 6724 – we’re happy to take your call whenever you next need our help to alleviate your condition.
