If you are one of the many Americans working from home these days, you’re probably thankful that you no longer have a commute. But, while you may no longer spend hours in traffic each day, you may have one significant factor working against you: a less-than-ergonomic working environment. The vast majority of offices choose chairs, desks, and other equipment to keep their workers at peak performance. At home, you don’t have this advantage. Here are a few tips from Yegii Insights to help keep your spine aligned and reduce back pain.
The Importance Of Good Posture
Back pain often begins because of chronic poor posture. But, more than reducing tension in your spine, having good posture reduces strain on muscles and ligaments. It will also help you get tired less quickly so that you can focus more on work, meaning you have more time to prioritize self-care at the end of the day.
Exercise Is Essential
Before we get into specifics of how to set up your home office to promote proper posture, it’s important to note that exercise is crucial to your overall physical health, including your spinal health. Staying active throughout the day whenever you have a moment of downtime is a great way to ensure that you are getting enough movement in your life. It’s also an important component of lowering your stress.
According to Healthline, there are several simple exercises you can do to keep your back strong and limber. These include certain yoga poses, stretches, and planking. You should also make a point to move periodically throughout the day.
Penn Medicine explains that there are many gadgets that can remind you to move during your working hours, including your phone and computer. But, more than just being able to set an alarm for when it’s time to get up, your technology (including headphones, earbuds, and portable speakers) can help you stay in motion. A quick word of advice: you don’t have to invest in the most expensive technology, and even last year’s models will work just fine. This applies to everything from your fitness tracker to your smart body scale.
An Ergonomic Workstation
Now that you are working at home, you are responsible for supplying your own desk, chair, and other workstation essentials. To create a back-friendly home office, make sure that your monitor is approximately an arm’s length away and is level with your bent elbows. Your monitor should be no more than approximately three inches below your eye level so that you can view your screen with a straight neck and relaxed shoulders.
When purchasing a chair, look for one that allows you to put your feet flat on the floor. At the very least, invest in the seat cushion and lumbar support pillow. If budget allows, you might also consider buying a standup desk. The American Cancer Society explains that standing may not significantly boost the number of calories you burn each day, but it can help with back and shoulder pain.
From exercising, moving throughout the day, and having an ergonomic workstation, everything you do for your spine matters. Back pain is no laughing matter, and it can stop you in your tracks. Since you don’t have the convenience of a predesigned, ergonomic workspace, take your back health into your own hands now.
This article is brought to you by Yegii Insights, designed for tomorrow’s professionals. Yegii aims to be an insight tool for the business professional disoriented by tech disruption, specifically focused on three types of professionals; Executives, Strategists, and Analysts. For more information, please visit our website or contact us today!
About the author*
*This post was written by Sharon Wagner. Sharon Wagner is creator of SeniorFriendly.info and author of the upcoming book, Senior-Friendly Workouts. With both her website and her book, she hopes to provide helpful tips, tricks, advice, and product recommendations that help seniors stay active and engaged as they age. For more info on what she is up to, check out SeniorFriendly.Info.