Tension in the neck, pain in the lower back or a stiff neck: Anyone who does sedentary work every day knows exactly what we are talking about. Sitting too long, and above all in an unhealthy sitting position, sooner or later knocks out almost every employee.
Read here what you as an employer can do for the health of your employees.
Instead of resigning yourself to your fate and repeatedly struggling with back problems, today we want to share with you what we believe to be the most effective tips on how to counteract postural pain and prevent complaints:
1. Healthy sitting position
Do you slide down in your chair over the course of the day or do you almost stick with your face on the screen? We always unconsciously sit in a posture that causes us the least amount of effort. Unfortunately without knowing the consequences for our neck. The spine in this area is compressed and tensed up the longer it is in this “relieving position” for the back.
To prevent this, make sure that you stay upright in your chair with your back straight, your legs are at a 90-degree angle, and your screen is at eye level. If you work with a laptop, there are suitable brackets so that you can bring it to a height that suits you.
Some of us also get pain from the computer mouse, which radiates from the arm to the back and can lead to hardening there. If you also have this suspicion, just try a vertical mouse, an ergonomic mouse alternative, or leave out the mouse entirely and work with the touchpad instead. It may take some practice at first, but it pays off in the long run.
2. Dynamic sitting
Your employer pays attention to the health of employees and provides extra back-friendly chairs ?! This does not automatically mean that you will be pain free in the future. There is much more to a healthy sitting posture: It has been shown that it is healthiest to change the sitting position again and again so that the muscles cannot tense up in a permanent posture. There are corresponding chairs on which you can take a wide variety of positions. But you can also work with a seat cushion that keeps your postural muscles continuously in motion. A pezzi ball is also effective. Here, too, make sure to choose a suitable ball that matches the table size and your leg length.
Another important point: the alternation between sitting and standing. This is easy to achieve with height-adjustable tables and there are also other appropriate cushions for the table with which you can create your own standing room. The rule of thumb is: 50% sitting, 25% standing and 25% moving. Which brings us to the next tip:
3. More exercise
Your only way in the office, is that to the toilet and back? Then you can “move” a lot here by consciously building more running routes into your everyday work. Take the stairs instead of the elevator and try to find occasions to keep moving: this can be going to the kitchen or going to your work colleagues in person instead of writing them or calling them. This also increases the effectiveness of your cooperation, as fewer misunderstandings arise and ensures a better personal bond.
Sitting in the office all day and just sitting down to eat during the lunch break? How about more active lunch planning and going to training either alone or with colleagues? Not only will your muscles thank you for this active break, your intellectual performance will also benefit from it. You will have a clearer head afterwards and are automatically more relaxed.
4. Office chair workout
In order not to freeze in a rigid posture and to allow your muscles the necessary variety, it helps to do short stretching exercises in between. Head and shoulder circles also help to activate the entire muscular system in the upper back area and can relieve tension. In addition, there are plenty of muscle-relaxing office exercises on the Internet for frequent users. Just let yourself be inspired and choose the ones that you can implement best and that you feel the strongest effect. This kills two birds with one stone, because even the dreaded midday low has no chance with these exercises and your energy level remains at the same level.
5. Take it easy
Yes, you read that right: just take a more relaxed approach to your job. Because especially when we are under time pressure or are exposed to a never-ending telephone appointment marathon, the following happens: Our muscles tense. The result can be a cramped sitting posture, which inevitably leads to pain. This means that we can find ourselves in an ergonomically optimal sitting position, but our psyche still throws us in the balance. Short breathing exercises in between or a short meditation break can be helpful here. They bring you back into balance and organize your thoughts. Taking a break more often, this also promotes rest and relaxation for your back muscles.
With our tips you can prevent back pain and, at best, even turn it off. As a positive side effect, you will also increase your productivity. Because if you are pain-free, you automatically have more energy and are also demonstrably in a better mood.
Get started today – your back will thank you!