The Covid-19 pandemic reshaped the way that many of us chose to live and work. It normalised working from home for many people.
Despite many businesses taking measures to try and bring people back to the office in the post-pandemic world, it looks like home working is a trend that is here to stay.
A study by Statista in September 2022 found that 37% of adults had worked at home at some point in the last 7 days.
There are many benefits associated with home working.
53% of people interviewed by Culture Shift claimed that being able to work from home had a positive impact on their work-life balance, and more than a third of people claimed that it helped them improve their creativity.
But not all aspects of working from home are positive.
Not every home worker has an ideal working environment
Poor posture while working is one of the negative effects of working from home.
Some people that work from home are lucky enough to have their own home office.
But many do not.
A lot of people still work from home on makeshift desks in their kitchen or dining room, which aren’t optimally set up for maintaining the correct posture for working.
One of the biggest culprits that prevent good posture is working directly on a laptop without an external keyboard or a mouse. Leaning forward to type on your laptop can cause a lot of discomfort in your neck and upper back.
Choosing to work on the sofa can be another major cause of pains and aches. It may feel comfortable enough at first, but it encourages slumping of your shoulders and your head to move forwards which can increase the amount of strain on your body.
Maintaining a poor posture at work over an extended period of time can have severe health consequences, including spinal dysfunction, joint degeneration and back pain.
But luckily, there are plenty of preventative measures that you can take to help you improve your posture and avoid pains and aches when you work from home.
Work in intervals, and take time away from your desk
One method to prevent yourself from working in the same position for too long is to use the Pomodoro technique.
The Pomodoro technique encourages you to split your work into intervals, with a short break in between. A common Pomodoro pattern is working for periods of 25 minutes, with 5-minute breaks.
When you are on your 5-minute breaks, take the opportunity to stand up and walk around the house. You might even try some good posture exercises (found further down this post). This will give your body some much-needed movement and can help prevent repetitive muscle strain and injury.
The bonus of taking regular breaks with the Pomodoro technique is that it can help keep your mind alert and can help you become more productive.
Invest in the right equipment
One of the best pieces of equipment for helping you keep healthy and maintain a good posture while you work at home is a standing desk.
When you stand up to work, it makes it easier for you to maintain good posture. It removes any temptation to slouch forward or lean back in your chair.
By choosing a standing desk, you increase the number of calories you burn each day, and reduce your likelihood of obesity. Standing desks can also reduce back pain and they may also improve your mood and energy levels.
But if a standing desk isn’t possible with your home working setup, there are other pieces of equipment that can help you achieve a good posture:
- A foot support can help you sit up straight and help with your body alignment.
- An ergonomic chair can also help you achieve the correct posture for working and help prevent any pains and aches.
- Using an external keyboard and mouse rather than typing directly into your laptop can also prevent you from leaning forward and putting strain on your back when you work from home.
- Monitor risers can help keep your computer screens at the right level to reduce the amount of strain on your neck.
Practice good posture exercises
If you’re able to break your work up into 25-minute intervals with the Pomodoro technique and invest in equipment to improve your working environment – you’re taking some really positive steps to avoid the negative health consequences of a poor posture when you work from home.
But you can take things one step further by practising some targeted good posture exercises that can help you avoid those pains and aches.
Neck rotations
Good posture exercises to decrease tightness in your neck by doing neck rotations. All you need to do is sit up straight, facing forwards. Gradually rotate your neck to the left, until you are looking over your left shoulder and feel a slight stretch.
Shoulder Shrugs
Shoulder shrugs are good posture exercises for releasing tension in your shoulders and lower neck. To start, face forwards and sit up straight in your chair. Slowly lift your shoulders up towards your ears, and then let them back down again gently.
Seated Hip Stretch
A seated hip stretch is a great exercise for activating your glutes and hips. To get started, sit down on a chair facing forwards with your back straight. Lift your left knee up to your chest and hold it in position for a second or two. Slowly return your leg back to its starting position and repeat with your other knee.
Seated Calf Stretch
To stretch out your calf muscles, sit up straight on your chair and extend your left leg. Slowly raise your foot towards you until you feel a stretch. Do a couple of repetitions and then repeat with your other leg.
High Plank
This is a good posture exercise that helps develop strength in your core and your back and can also help reduce any feelings of stiffness in your body. The best way to describe the high plank position is to position yourself on the floor as if you’re about to do a press-up. Keep a straight back and straight arms while you look down at the floor. Hold this position for as long as you’re comfortable – ideally for around a minute.
Seek help if you’re suffering from posture-related pain
Practising good posture exercises are a great preventative measure to help you avoid pains and aches when you work from home.
But if you’re already suffering from posture-related pain, don’t wait to seek help. The longer you leave things undiagnosed and untreated, the more likely it is to evolve into something more serious.
If you have any kind of pain in your back, shoulders or neck during working hours which subsides when you’re not at work – it’s likely you’re suffering from posture-related pain, and you should seek support.
At CK Physiotherapy, we’ve got years of experience helping people with a range of different posture-related issues.
We’re here to help identify and diagnose any problems you may be facing and put you back on the road to recovery.
Book an online session today. Your online consultation can be scheduled at any time that suits you, from the comfort of your own home.
Sources:
https://www.fullmotionphysio.co.uk/physiotherapy-tips-working-from-home/
https://ptforhealth.com/sitting-posture-working-from-home/
https://www.northeastspineandsports.com/blog/7-exercises-to-save-your-posture-while-working-from-home/
https://warwick.ac.uk/services/sport/content-hub/feed/postural-exercises-help-working-home/
https://www.greatbritishbusinessshow.co.uk/blog-library/how-to-maintain-good-posture-while-working-from-home
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/working-from-home-posture-back-pain
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25168375/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26735316/
https://www.healthline.com/health/posture-exercises
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