Does your job involve spending your entire work day behind a desk? Spending most of your day seated can have a negative impact on your physical health. This could end up being the cause of several body issues including back pain. Although you may not have control over your work situation, you can still find ways to make it more tolerable for your body. Here are some ways to help you stay healthy even as you work at a desk job.
Keep To Proper Straight Lines
As you work at your desk, you want to ensure that you are maintaining proper straight lines. This means keeping your screen at the same level as your eyes. This way you will not have to bend your neck awkwardly to view the screen. To ensure this, you can adjust your chair and monitor until you feel your neck and head are in a comfortable position.
Maintain Good Posture
The most important tip when it comes to working at a desk is to maintain a good posture. This is something that should be practiced whether or not someone is working at a desk. It is, however, more crucial in this situation to ensure that your body does not develop issues over time.
Avoid slouching forward or leaning on your back which will put pressure on your spine and even misalign it. Instead, you want to keep your back straight and put both feet flat on the ground.
Create A Proper Work Space
Since you spend most of your time seated at your desk, you want to at least ensure that your workplace is conducive to your health. This means sitting ergonomically with a proper desk and chair to enable you to be comfortable throughout the workday. An office chair with lumbar support is best so that you are not stressing your spine.
When it comes to ergonomics, do not forget about your hands and wrists. Continuous typing causes a strain on the joints and ligaments. You should therefore consider a padded or ergonomic keyboard to help with hand placement. A cushioned wrist mouse pad will also help to keep your hand and wrist comfortable.
Take A Break
Prolonged periods of sitting down can take a toll on your body. After remaining seated at your desk for a while, your body will benefit from a short break. You should therefore try and get up from your desk and walk around every so often. If you don’t want to take an aimless walk, you can combine it with other activities such as visiting the bathroom, getting some coffee, eating lunch, consulting with a colleague, or any other activity that will get you away from your desk.
Taking a break will help stretch out your muscles and realign your body. You will also be giving your mind a break, enabling you to refresh your focus.
Exercise Regularly
Since you do not have an active job, you need to find ways to keep your body active outside of your work. You should therefore make a point of engaging in a regular exercise routine, preferably 3 to 4 times per week. Try and focus on exercises that will work out your core while protecting your back.
Regular exercise will compensate for the periods of inactivity spent at your desk. It will also help to keep you more energized and focused throughout the day while at work. You can also try and skip the elevator and take the stairs instead. This is another great way to work out your body and improve your overall fitness.
Take Part In Some Desk Stretches
Even if you are unable to leave your workstation, you can still have a stretch break right next to your desk. You will simply need to get up and do a few stretches. There are a variety of desk stretches that you can do in the office which you can search for on the internet. Doing this frequently will prevent your neck and back muscles from tensing up.
Summary:
Maintaining optimal physical health can be difficult when you are working a desk job. Still, there are steps that you can take to save your health. Even though they may not entirely prevent issues from arising, the aforementioned tips will go a long way in helping you do this.