How to prevent back while working from home
rosedalewellness • September 15, 2020
How can I prevent lower back pain while working from home? The number of people working from home has significantly increased over the past few months. Due to this, you may have noticed some new aches and pains that may not have been there before. Here are some things to keep in mind while you’re working from home:
- Moving around regularly and changing posture frequently – T ry to avoid prolonged periods of standing/sitting. Take it a step further by doing some core strengthening exercises to help stabilize your lower back. Try placing your hands behind your head to help you lengthen your spine, then reach your arms overhead towards the ceiling and take 2-3 deep breaths, this should help to relieve some of the stress on the spine and can be repeated as needed! Another alternative stretch you can do sitting down is placing your hands on the small of your back (fingers pointing down), keeping your chin level & shoulders down, try to touch your elbows together & hold for 2-3 breaths.
- Keep a good posture : Avoid letting your shoulders roll forward or letting your nose creep towards the screen. Ideally, your eyes should be level with your monitor and your chin should be parallel to the floor. You may need to adjust your laptop/computer screen by placing it on a pile of books or a cardboard box to ensure a neutral head position (keep in mind if you changed your laptop position, you should then use a separate mouse that is at a comfortable height and does not strain your wrist).
- Use ergonomically correct furniture : if your chair does not have ‘lumbar’ support for the curve in your lower back then you can try to use a small pillow or rolled-up towel to support this area. Adjust the height of the chair so that your feet are flat on the floor with your knees and hips at a 90-degree angle. If your chair does not adjust then use a small box/footstool to achieve this position. Limit the time that you work from your couch/bed even with pillow support!
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