You may not picture an office job as injury-prone work, but jobs that involve a lot of sitting can be harmful to your health — and may result in injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back pain, and issues with neck or shoulder mobility.One study of nearly 8,000 adults found that on average, people spend about 12 hours per day sitting. All the time spent sitting, especially if you don’t have healthy posture or proper back and neck support, can add up to significant health concerns. Regardless of how much exercise you get, sitting for long periods of time is suggested to increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. That’s not to mention the risk of repetitive stress injuries, which are caused by repeated motions for extended periods of time — such as working on a computer and typing on a keyboard.If you sit a desk for the majority of your workday, it’s important to create healthy habits and invest in supportive tools and accessories to keep your body fit. Here are some tips to help you avoid strains, aches, and long-term pain at your office job, so you can focus on being both productive and comfortable throughout the day.
1. Wear a Fitness Tracker
Many people have a commute to work that involves riding in a car, or taking some sort of transportation — and this is just the beginning of the sedentary day for an office worker. To avoid sitting for long periods at a time, consider wearing a fitness tracker that monitors the amount of time you stay in one place. You can program the device to alert you after a specific amount of time, at which point it will remind you to get up and move. You can also program fitness trackers to monitor your steps by the hour. Try setting a goal for yourself to achieve a certain number of steps in one day — your fitness tracker can help you monitor whether you’re hitting your goals, and push you to be more active throughout the day to meet those goals. A wearable device serves as a constant reminder to get up from the desk to take walks, stretch, and move your body.
2. Choose Ergonomic Seating
Lower back pain is one of the most common issues people experience when confined to a desk for several hours per day. If you don’t have proper back support, it’s likely that you’re either slumping forward or slouching backwards in your seat — both of which can ultimately spur pain in your back muscles. If you’re already experiencing back pain, there are steps you can take to mitigate the aches and strain.To help prevent back pain from occurring (or recurring), invest in an active sitting chair that can help improve your posture and minimize pressure on your back. You’ll find an array of active sitting chairs to choose from, including kneeling chairs, balance ball chairs, and even leaning chairs. Consider an ergonomic chair such as the Varier Move-2600, which balances your body in an upright posture to prevent back and shoulder tension. For extra lumbar support, select a seat like the Humanscale Diffrient Smart Task Chair, designed with a mesh backing to provide ergonomic back support. If you tend to slouch backwards while sitting, you might benefit from a chair like the Varier THATSIT balans, which tilts the pelvis forward to keep the spine in an upright position. With so many ergonomic designs on the market, all it takes is a little research to find a chair that will give you ample support throughout the workday.
3. Prevent Wrist Strain
Typing away at the keyboard all day can cause pains in the wrists. Use a wrist rest for your keyboard, which helps ease the angle at which you hold your wrists while typing. Adjust the placement of your seat and keyboard to keep your wrists in a neutral posture, as opposed to bending them upwards.Stretching your wrists is also beneficial. Here’s an easy stretch you can try: place your hands together in front of you, with palms touching and elbows pointing out to either side. Holding your palms together, slowly drop your hands to point all fingers forward. You should be able to feel the stretch as you drop your hands. Hold this for five seconds at a time, at several intervals during the day to help keep your wrist muscles limber.Implementing simple yet impactful stretches into your daily routine can help alleviate aches, pains, and injury.
4. Adjust Distances to Avoid Neck and Shoulder Pain
Simply adjusting the placement of items on and around your desk can make a big difference in your body’s health. Neck and shoulder pain is often caused by reaching to type on a keyboard, use a mouse, or to see a computer screen — overextending for long periods of time can pull your neck or shoulders out of alignment with your spine. Be sure your mouse and keyboard are easily within reaching distance. Place your computer screen directly in front of you; not off to one side, as this requires straining your neck to face the screen.You can also sit in a way that promotes proper ergonomics to avoid neck and shoulder pain. Select a chair with adjustable armrests, and position them to keep your arms at a 90-degree angle. When sitting, your knees should align to be level with your hips. This will help to avoid muscle strain.
5. Consider a Height-Adjustable Desk
A standing desk, or a desk that is height adjustable, allows you to alternate between standing and sitting as you work. Alternating between the two positions is a great way to give different muscle groups a break throughout the day, and helps you reduce the amount of time you spend sitting still. A CDC study reported that after 4 weeks of using a height adjustable desk, participants experienced 54% reduced upper back and neck pain. Standing during your workday can not only improve heart health and reduce back pain, but is also suggested to have a positive effect on energy level and mood.When you set up your standing desk, be sure to arrange your workstation properly, so that your computer screen is just at (or slightly above) eye level and your elbows sit comfortably at a 90-degree angle. While standing can be good for you, an improper setup can still cause undue strain on your body.With an ergonomic workstation and plenty of healthy breaks throughout your workday, you can stay safe, healthy, and productive on the job. If you’re ready to invest in supportive furniture for your workspace, visit The Back Store to browse our ergonomic products.
You may not picture an office job as injury-prone work, but jobs that involve a lot of sitting can be harmful to your health — and may result in injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back pain, and issues with neck or shoulder mobility.
One study of nearly 8,000 adults found that on average, people spend about 12 hours per day sitting. All the time spent sitting, especially if you don’t have healthy posture or proper back and neck support, can add up to significant health concerns. Regardless of how much exercise you get, sitting for long periods of time is suggested to increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. That’s not to mention the risk of repetitive stress injuries, which are caused by repeated motions for extended periods of time — such as working on a computer and typing on a keyboard.
If you sit a desk for the majority of your workday, it’s important to create healthy habits and invest in supportive tools and accessories to keep your body fit.
Here are some tips to help you avoid strains, aches, and long-term pain at your office job, so you can focus on being both productive and comfortable throughout the day.