Are your days at work starting to feel longer and harder? Are you just not as energetic and productive as you used to be? Well there could be a number of factors that are influencing this, but one you might not have thought of is bad posture!
That’s why we’ve put together these 5 tips to help you improve your posture and overall health when spending those long hours working or studying.
Good Posture
Here’s how to sit properly in a desk chair. Sit with your back flush against the chair, and feet flat on the ground. A good tip to make sure your head is in a neutral position is to make sure your ears are directly above your shoulders. Also adjust your chair height so your thighs are slightly angled downwards as this allows for the optimal distribution of weight on your bones.
Standing
Sitting is actually a lot worse for us than standing is. Therefore spending as much time standing where you would otherwise have been sitting is a great way to reduce straining your body throughout the work day. You can even invest in a standing desk or converter!
Desk Setup
When setting up your desk, here are two things to consider. Your monitor should be placed directly in front of you, and at a height so the centre of the screen is in line with your nose. Having to angle your head downwards to look at a screen puts a significant strain on your neck. Your mouse and keyboard should be at a height, and close enough, that your elbows are angled at 90 degrees when using them.
Less Phone Screen Time
Angling your head downwards puts so much strain on your neck. Prolonged periods of staring at a phone or tablet can even lead to disc or joint injuries over time. Therefore it’s a good practice to use your phone as little as possible when working at your desk.
Walking
Yes! Simply going for a walk around the house or office makes a giant difference. A good rule of thumb is for every hour spent at your desk, you should take a ten minute break and take a walk or do some stretches.
Hopefully these tips will help make your final push for the year a bit healthier and maybe even more productive!
For all your aches and posture pains, we are available at PHYSIOTHERAPY BEDFORDVIEW to assess, treat and advise.
