Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

Many of us are working from home now. I do it part time! There are huge benefits from not having to tackle the daily commute, eating too many office danishes or dealing with whiny co-workers. However, many people are finding that this way of working causes problems of its own, and one of them is bad posture.

Health Issues Caused By Bad Posture

Bad posture is more than just looking like a slouch. It can have a big effect on your overall health too. The most common issues that people find are:

• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Rounded shoulders
• Muscle fatigue
• Stooped posture

Many people take painkillers to deal with the aches and pains, but this is a short term solution and won’t fix the problem. There are some great bits of tech out there to help you with your posture and health, obVus solutions make one that integrates with your existing Apple Watch.

Get The Right Chair

If you’re doing all of your work slouched on the sofa with your laptop or using a dining chair at your desk, this isn’t going to work for you in the long term. Neither are designed to support your body in that position for any length of time.

If you work from home regularly, you should invest in good quality, ergonomic chair. They can be a bit pricey, but less expensive than having to pay for physiotherapy. You could look for a bargain pre-loved chair to keep costs down.

Once you have it, learn how to set it up properly for your needs.

Always Be Mindful Of Your Posture

It’s not just while we’re working we should try and practice good posture. There are other positions and activities that can cause issues too. The main ones to look out for include:

• Leaning your weight on one leg while standing
• Sticking your bottom too far out, causing stress on the lower back
• Hunching over your phone
• Cradling your phone in your neck

Exercise

Keeping fit and healthy is always a good idea, but there are specific activities that will help you to strengthen your muscles and improve your posture. The most common include yoga and pilates. There are many free videos online you can try or you can pay to join a class so that you can learn from a qualified teacher.

Seek Professional Help

If you’ve had terrible posture for a long time now, it might take a little more than some stretching to get you back into shape. If you’re experiencing a lot of chronic aches and pains then it is definitely worth consulting an osteopath or physiotherapist who can work with you on the relevant areas to reduce pain.

Key Takeaways

Very few people have perfect posture. It’s easy to fall into bad habits and not realize the damage being done until you’re already feeling the effects.

Homeworking has its own unique set of benefits and challenges when it comes to our health, so if you’re new to remote working, then you’re probably experiencing a bit of a learning curve.

Bottom line: Give yourself the very best chance of avoiding poor posture by setting your workstation up correctly, taking regular breaks, and learning how to strengthen the muscles correctly through exercise. Your health will thank you for it. Go get it, WINNER! 🙂