by samNowadays, less than 20{06e29518e582b1cc2da09f8f2ea316dadc41c520023bcca83a4deb5e6ad0a3c6} of jobs involve physical exertion! Here at Digital Clicks we often spend the majority of our days in front of our computers and at our desks, and the chances are if you work in any type of office you may be doing something very similar. As much as we enjoy our desk jobs, studies show that too much sitting can cause negative health effects. Hopefully this blog will help all of us towards a more comfortable and healthier future at our desks.
One of the first steps to staying healthy at work is to always have correct posture. Being comfortable in your workplace is important, something as simple as having relaxed shoulders with a supported back can make all the difference as well as preventing future back, neck and shoulder pain. Having the correct posture doesn’t mean just sitting correctly it can also involve regular stretches and good feet support to maintain posture. There are thousands of ways to stretch out muscles but a popular office technique is standing up with your hands up in the air and pushing your tummy out; this stretches your arms, legs and back in just a few seconds. It may look a little strange bursting out of your seat to stretch in the middle of a meeting so a good way to stretch a little more discreetly is getting up to use the bathroom or going to get a coffee.
Another way to help with posture is having the correct seating and using it properly. As much as we would all like to recline back and pop our feet on the desk it isn’t the most professional look, so having a chair that you can be comfortable in, as well as professional is always great. To the right is a diagram of how you should be sitting at your desk on a daily basis, it seems to be that having back support is important as well as keeping level with your computer. You can even buy specific ergonomic chairs that are guaranteed to help you relax in front of your desk (just be careful not to doze off, your employers probably won’t be pleased!). You can also check you’re sitting correctly ¬by having your very own professional ergonomic assessment at your workplace.
As mentioned previously, walking to the loo or having a quick coffee break can be a great way to stretch the muscles. This can also be useful for another reason, research suggests that getting up once every 20-30 minutes can refresh you to focus and also decrease muscle pain caused by sitting at a desk all day. Just a small bit of exercise can make a big difference, even walking or cycling to work just 2 or 3 days a week can lead to a much healthier and active lifestyle. Obviously I’m not recommending you ditch a 20 mile train commute to cycle instead but maybe walking to the station or bus stop every now and then can really help improve your fitness as well as health.
Another problem that can occur from a regular desk job is something a little more delicate than the odd walks here and there. I’m referring now to the eyes, and how they can easily deteriorate; this is a problem many people will suffer from as a result of spending multiple days in front of their computers. There has even been a medical diagnosis of problems caused by this called computer vision syndrome. To avoid any serious problems with your vision, there are a few steps that you can easily take. Firstly the positioning of your computer on your desk is important, it needs to at eye level so you can properly focus; this also helps avoiding neck pain. To reduce eye straining it has been suggested that looking away from your computer every 10 to 20 minutes for just 15 seconds can help. Another useful tip is to reduce the brightness and contrast of your screen, not so much that it’s completely black but enough so it’s not bright enough to damage your sight.
The last but certainly not least helpful tip to stay healthy is one we should all take the time to do, no matter what job you are doing. This is of course staying hydrated and well nourished. Bringing bottles of water to work with you can help drastically with in taking the daily-recommended amount as you can clearly recognise how much you are drinking. Staying well hydrated can also help with creating the perfect opportunities for bathroom breaks and allowing you to do those all-important stretches! Also bringing small healthy snacks to eat throughout the day such as nuts or cut up fruits can help regulate your blood sugar and keep up your energy that is lost whilst sitting for long periods of time (it also keeps you going till you can grab that all important BLT at lunchtime).
Overall, these tips should help you on your way to a healthier lifestyle at your desk and these tips can be helpful in everyday life from stretching a little in your university seminars to a quick loo break at the cinema. Hopefully this has helped you a little on understanding the importance of keeping healthy and active at work, with people sitting anything from 7 to 15 hours a day; little facts like this can help us all in any workplace. If you feel like your suffering pain from a result of too many days at the desk the people at HFS clinic can help you see what’s wrong. On that note, please feel free to comment with any tips of your own or anything you have found useful from this blog post!