If you work in an office or another type of sedentary environment, you’ve probably heard a lot about the importance of good posture and healthy routines.
As the number of people entering these kinds of professions continues to grow, the government is keen to educate them on the dangers of an inactive lifestyle.
Yet, few people actually take steps to make their office routines kinder on the body. This is particularly true in the case of the neck and eyes.
They spend hours at work, sat in front of a computer screen, and then go home to use televisions and smartphones. While neither are bad things to do, resting the body in the right way is essential for good health.
This begins at work and there are all kinds of things that you can do to turn the environment into a stress-free place for your body.
Use a high-quality monitor stand
One of the easiest ways to correct your posture and make sure that your spine isn’t bent when typing, researching, or data processing is to position the computer monitor at the right height. You need a quality monitor arm or stand to do this.
It will allow you to raise, lower, and tilt the screen until it matches your natural posture. This should be sitting upright, with back straight, and head level. Or, if you often have to use your computer standing up, you need to make sure that the monitor is level with your eyes and not too close to where your hands are positioned.
Always invest in great chairs
If there is one thing that workplaces shouldn’t skimp on, it is the quality of the chairs. All employees have the right to a chair that supports their back, bottom, and posture.
As everybody has slightly different needs in this regard, the best option is always to use fully adjustable chairs, with moveable arms, a changeable height, and a tilting backrest.
A healthy sitting position requires the feet to be flat on the floor, with the thighs slightly below the hips. The back of the chair should support the spine and naturally hold the neck straight. It is okay for there to be a slight curve in the spine, but this should not be too pronounced. If you are slouching, adjust the chair or sit up straight.
Get up and move your feet
Resist the temptation to stay sitting at your desk throughout the whole day. Even if you don’t always feel like it, the healthier choice is to get to your feet and move around at lunch and break times. The general recommendation from doctors is to stand upright and leave the workstation for at least five minutes every hour.
Set an alarm if you have trouble remembering or your schedule is so busy that you’ll be tempted to give your mini break a miss. You don’t even have to stop working. Use the time to take a phone call, do some brainstorming, or liaise with another member of the team. It is the physical variety that is important, although taking a regular break from the computer screen is also highly advised.
Don’t buy the first product you see
If you own a small business, you’ll occasionally need to update your office furniture. When you do, don’t make the mistake of thinking that the market won’t have changed. It might sound strange to think of products like office chairs as being capable of evolution, but you’d be surprised at how advanced they can get.
Ergonomic design is essential for offices, as employees spend too much time sat down for their posture and physical routine not to have an impact on their wider health. So, you should always shop carefully and do your own research. Monitor arms and stands, for instance, come in a huge range of styles and should be bought to match the type of workplace.