When it comes to sitting at your desk, there is a lot you can do to reduce those aches and pains.
Most jobs require us to spend hours on end at the desk, be it at home or the office. Humans were designed to move and be active - which is difficult to achieve if you're spending most of the day (and even sometimes the night) at the desk. I often get asked "what is perfect posture?" and in fact, every person has their own perfect posture owing to our infinite differences. Perfect posture will therefore look different for everyone.
"Many researchers in their study found that the person who sits for the lengthened periods suffers from the neck, upper back musculoskeletal pain due to improper adjustment to the computer screen and chair height." - Dubey et al., 2019.
The major concept to remember when desk time is required is the idea of keeping body parts at 90° to each other. Starting with the feet, keep them flat on the floor and at 90° to your legs. Knees bent to 90° and hips at 90° to the torso. If your chair has armrests, place your forearms partially on the rests as well as the desk. Try and sit close to the desk so that you don't end up over-extending your arms. Keep those elbows close to the body and bent to 90°.
From school learners doing hours of homework to students cramming for the midterm, to office workers - everyone can use some advice on how to improve desk posture. The tips below are going to build on the 90° idea.
Tip #1 - Take a break
Yep, that's right - get up and move! Ideally, try to stand up and take a little walk every hour. Not only will this get your blood flowing, but it will also provide you with an opportunity to get back to your desk with awareness to achieve a better posture than before.
Tip #2 - Lift your screen
Remember the Yellow Pages or the textbook you never read, that are sitting at the back of your cupboard? - well it's time to get them out again! Try and lift your screen almost to eye level. This will avoid you looking downwards. In turn, you will avoid over-stretching the muscles at the back of your neck - which are sometimes responsible for those daily headaches. Your monitor should be 40 - 76cm away from you, and in line with your eyes.
Tip #3 - Don't raise your shoulders
I for one, am very guilty when it comes to ignoring this rule. Our trapezius muscles run from the back of the neck, across to the shoulder blades, and then down to our mid-backs. Often we raise our shoulders when we are stressed, or even hold the phone to our ear. This results in the muscle being shortened for prolonged periods which in turn causes trigger points, or "knots". Try keeping your shoulders in a neutral position and you'll notice the difference it makes.
"Complaints of work-related neck pain are becoming increasingly prevalent, especially amongst intensive computer users" - Wegner et al., 2010.
Tip #4 - Keep your feet on the floor
Literally. If you are shorter and your feet don't reach the floor - think about using an old phone book, ice cream container, or even a shoe box. This will avoid a "toe-pointing" position - which can cause leg cramps. Try keeping both feet flat on the floor, with your legs slightly parted.
Tip #5 - Think about an ergonomic chair
Ergotherapy has a wide range of chairs that are endorsed by the Chiropractic Association of South Africa (CASA). These chairs are adjustable and supportive, especially in the lumbar area. A good chair can make the world of difference to a long work day, or night. I have the GetOne® chair and it made the world of difference to those long nights studying or writing my dissertation.
Check out their chairs and other ergonomic products via their site.
What to Remember?
In summary, try to work on maintaining awareness to improve your desk posture. Lift your screen, relax those shoulders, and feet on the floor, move at least once an hour, and get that blood flowing! If you aren't sure about something or need more advice - get in touch!
Call or WhatsApp: 073 160 6024
Kommentare