Did you know that more than 80% of people will experience low back pain at least once in their life? If you find yourself stuck in the same position at work, take a posture break every 30-50 minutes by moving & changing positions. Our bodies were built for movement; yet many people are required to sit at a desk their entire workday. This is where poor posture creeps in, and over time this may lead to low back pain. Other work required motions such as prolonged periods of sitting down, repetitive movements, or awkward work positions may result in pain and nervous system tension.
The Ontario Chiropractic Association recommends these 5 tips to make your work area more comfortable:
- Maintain proper posture: this means sitting up straight and maintaining the natural curve of your low back. When our posture is poor, our body has to work harder against gravity to keep us upright. Pretend there is a string attached to the top of your head. Sit up tall with your chest high, ensuring that your ears, shoulders and hips are in line and your bottom is at the back of the chair.
- Adjust your chair: your shoulders and low back should rest comfortably against the chair back. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor and your knees at the same height or slightly lower than your thighs.
- Adjust your monitor: When you are reading text the top line on the screen should be at eye level. This will help to keep your neck in a neutral position while you are working. If you do not have an adjustable monitor stack books or something stable underneath to raise it up.
- Check the position of your keyboard or mouse: position your keyboard so that your arms can rest comfortably with your elbows at your sides as you type, with your forearms parallel to the floor. Position your mouse as close to the keyboard as possible to decrease any unnecessary strain.
- Keep moving: We were built for movement, so keep moving and changing positions as much as possible. If your work is sedentary be sure to take posture breaks every 30-50 minutes.
Remember to take care of your good health by changing postures up at work, and visit a chiropractor to help keep you moving with ease.
For more information visit: www.chiropractic.on.ca
