With the confinement linked to the coronavirus pandemic, many French people have had to work from home, willingly or by force. And for some, it continues today. However, one might believe that we are not making things more comfortable. However, working slumped on the sofa or twisted in bed is not without consequences. Medical prescriptions for back pain, sensitive trapezius muscles, neck pain or blocked shoulders are also increasing because of this way of working. Often, working well at home only comes down to a few small adjustments to your work environment. Here’s how to prevent pain and protect your joints!
1) When working remotely, have a neat workspace
Staying in your cozy bed and sofa is not ideal even if it is tempting. In fact, this promotes slouched postures and what’s more, it prevents us from separating our personal and professional lives. It is therefore advisable to opt for a desk or table that will act as a makeshift office. Respect a few principles here: have flat feet and firmly riveted to the ground and support his pelvis. The back should never work in a sitting position and must stay upright at all times.
-If necessary, adjust the height of the seat or use a stack of books or reams of paper as a footrest. This will avoid having your feet in the air, which harms blood circulation and increases pressure on the back and pelvis.
-In any case, avoid wooden chairs that are too hard or without backs. If you spend a lot of time on the computer, it may also be worth opting for an ergonomic office chair. Alternatively, you can roll a towel or use a lumbar pillow around the belt for added comfort around the pelvis.
-In addition, be sure to keep your arms alongside your body at 90° to a table ideally located at elbow height. This allows the shoulders to be neither too low nor too high.
2) Maintain good posture by properly positioning your computer screen
At home and in the office, we must always ensure that the gaze is at the height of the top of the screen. This is what allows you to avoid tilting your head and having your back bent. However, keeping your neck straight can be tricky with a laptop. To avoid hunching your back, elevate your computer on a stack of books to use it as a simple screen. To do this, use an external mouse and keyboard to type and, if necessary, enlarge the character size on the computer to be able to read better.
In addition to back comfort, you also need to keep eye comfort in mind. It must also be 80 cm from your eyes (about an arm’s length). Finally, you must ensure that there are no reflections on the screen to avoid headaches, dry eyes and visual fatigue.
3) Avoid crossing your legs
It’s difficult to forget this reflex, but you’ll have to! Indeed, crossing your legs is not only a factor promoting cellulite. It’s also very bad for your back! In fact, this creates asymmetries in the pelvis and back. By moving further forward, your hip causes muscular tension which quickly affects the entire back area. In addition to buttock pain, this can cause lumbago or sciatica. To avoid back pain when teleworking or even on a daily basis, quickly break this habit!
4) When working remotely, don’t forget to move a little
For blood circulation as well as to relieve body tensionit is important to get up and walk regularly. To do this, there is no need to embark on a long walk going in circles in your 40m²… For example, you just need to go get a coffee or a glass of water to stay hydrated. Also, if you have a call to make, take the opportunity to stretch yourself at the same time. For more relief, take this type of short break every two or three hours so as not to sit for too long. If necessary, you can put a reminder on your phone to think about it! Nevertheless, it is often enough to listen to yourself : if you’re not feeling well and you’re fidgeting, maybe it’s time to heat up some tea!
If the pain is already present, you can also do some stretching (some examples below). This will calm stiffness and relieve tension. And if you have a high table (bar, etc.), you can also take advantage of it to alternate standing and sitting work. Do some testing!
5) Some easy exercises and stretches to relieve yourself while working from home
-To reduce tension, for 2 minutes, place your hands behind your buttocks and lower your shoulders as much as possible while arching your chest and hollowing your back.
-Sitting or standing, feet firmly on the ground, stretch yourself as wide as possible by raising your arms to the sky for 10 seconds.
-Gently place your right ear on the right shoulder. Do the same on the left and repeat several times smoothly. This will relieve your sore trapezius muscles
-To soothe your shoulders, reach out and stretch it towards your chest with the opposite hand for 10 seconds. Then alternate.
-Stand with your legs hip-width apart, extend your right arm upwards. Then, gently lean to the right, keeping your back straight. Then alternate with the other side.