You may already know that good posture is key to good health, but maintaining it while working from home can be challenging since home offices don’t necessarily have the most ergonomic design.
Instead, improvised work stations have become the norm for many people, whether it’s a dining table, a sofa, or even a corner of floor space. None of these are ideal for posture or avoiding back and neck pain.
There are ways, however, which can help you keep such musculoskeletal problems away. A recent study, for example, has shown that people can avoid sitting-induced back pain if they keep moving regularly and limit uninterrupted sedentary time to 20 minutes.
Picking it up from here, below you can find 10 tips from therapist and best-selling author Kelly Starrett for you to think about before you next sit down to work:
- Learn to breathe from your stomach.
- Sit on the edge of your chair.
- At home, sit on the floor sometimes instead of a chair or sofa.
- Sit cross-legged when you can (but keep changing the position and leg regularly).
- Get up from your chair every 20 minutes.
- Stay hydrated to keep your body cool, and assist muscle and joint function.
- Try “man-spreading” (stretching your legs outwards while sitting) which helps to maintain and improve hip function and mobility.
- Stand up at your desk or elevate your workstation using items such as books or boxes at home.
- Take the time to perform a full-range hip movement (using the legs for support) and brace the lower back when standing up and sitting down – this avoids placing stress on the lower back and distributes the movement throughout the entire body
- Try yoga and pilates to supplement your exercise regime – both help to maintain and improve flexibility.
