Many people find themselves sitting throughout the course of a typical day in order to complete work. Whether you work from home or in an office, it’s important to ensure that you are sitting in a proper manner while you work. Continuing to practice poor posture can often lead to serious health problems in the future. In fact, statistics gathered from the National Research Council found that 1 million people throughout the United States suffered from some type of musculoskeletal disorders that were related to working. Considering that, here are four ways to avoid injuries that take place while working at a desk.
- Keep Your Head Properly Aligned
It’s important to consider where you place your head and neck while sitting down to complete work. Chances are, you’re sitting with your head and neck facing slightly forward. If you’re unsure how you should be sitting, try making sure that both your head and neck are parallel with your shoulders. If you weren’t sitting this way before, you’ve likely just noticed a huge improvement in how comfortable you feel. This is due to the fact that sitting with your head slightly leaning forward places extra tension on your body, especially around the neck and back areas. - Utilize Office Chair Mats
Most people find that there are items they need that aren’t nearby while working. Considering that, you need to have a way to effortless move your office chair around your home or workplace office. You’ll find that a custom chair mat allows to move freely without having to stand up. In addition, there are many types of custom chair mats to choose from. For instance, someone who doesn’t want their floor surfaces covered would likely prefer to utilize clear office chair mats. - Choose the Right Kind of Chair
While custom chair mats are extremely important to have, it’s also essential that you’ve purchased a comfortable chair. You want to find a chair that is able to offer lumbar support. Statistics show that the online office furniture industry currently maintains a value of $12 billion. Considering that, it’s likely that you will easily be able to find an office chair that is comfortable to sit in throughout the day. It’s important to choose the right type of office chair in order to avoid musculoskeletal disorders. Statistics gathered from 2001 found that lost time related to these disorders cost workplaces $45-54 billion dollars per year. - Don’t Forget to Take Breaks
It’s understandable to feel especially focused on completing certain projects. You might find that you have looming deadlines that must be tended to. However, it’s important that you allow yourself proper time to step away from your desk. With that in mind, consider taking at least a five minute break per each working order to give yourself a few moments to stretch and move around. It’s important to give yourself these breaks to allow blood to circulate throughout the body. In addition, you’ll find that these breaks work well to give your mind the break that it likely needs after working for long periods of time.
To summarize, there are several ways that you can practice proper posture while sitting down to work. It’s important that you ensure your head remains parallel to your shoulders while working. Considering that, many people unknowingly leave their head slightly forward while working which places extra strain on the neck and back areas. You’ll find that having a custom chair mat is important for being able to easily get items throughout your office. A custom chair mat not only ensures you’re able to move around easily, they also keep your floors protected from any spills.
