It’s hard enough to get through a day’s work as it is without being in pain. That’s where I can help. There lots that you can do to prevent pain or resolve it. Make a start with these 4 easy Tips and exercises to get you sitting comfortably.
1. Sit Properly
It’s just so easy to slump and sit awkwardly twisted in your seat, it’s comfortable at first but will soon begin to cause problems. We haven’t all got access to the perfect chair but look at what you have and try and make it as good as you can. Firstly, support for the bottom of your back is essential. You can buy lumber supports but simply sitting with your bum right at the back of your chair and if your chair has no lumber support placing a small rolled towel in your lower back will really help. If your lower back is well supported it will be hard to slump higher up. Your feet should be flat on the floor with knees at about 90 degrees – if your feet are not flat on the floor use a box file or something similar under your feet.
2. Put your screen at eye height
Avoid neck and shoulder strain by placing your screen so the top is at eye height. Even small changes in screen height have a big effect on your upper body so try and get as close to this ideal as possible. You can buy a monitor raiser or just use something sturdy to lift things up. If using a laptop it may be worth investing in a separate keyboard so you can lift the screen to a better height, these are relatively inexpensive. Position the screen in front of you to help maintain a good posture and avoid twisting.
3. Get up and move around
Moving regularly is essential, even with the best chair and seating position you will still get problems if you sit still. So to prevent pain move regularly. Set a timer for every 20 mins (it’s easy to get engrossed and realise a couple of hours have flown by). Get up and walk around when on the phone. Don’t be too organised and have everything to hand! -Otherwise, you will get up even less.
Simple stretches will really help, do what feels good however silly you may feel. Here are a few ideas.
– Roll your shoulders in circles
– Reach up over your head and lean to either side
– Gently stretch neck from side to side (ear to shoulder)
– Link hands behind your back
– Stretch out through your chest.
– Turn and rotate your truck to look behind you.
If you can, try and time your hours of exercise to break up your working day. A walk halfway through will be better for your body and mind than on an evening.
4. Upgrade your sitting posture
So we now have the perfect sitting position but in reality, it is not that simple. It’s one thing being able to gain a nice sitting position and maintain it for a couple of minutes but then we find ourselves slumped back down the next time we check. It can feel like an ongoing battle. This is because we need strength and flexibility to maintain a good posture for any length of time. The stronger we get the easier it is to maintain a good posture. My Pain Free -BODY- online course helps you achieve just this. My FREE posture course takes just 35 minutes to complete, enroll now and start making changes to your posture today. Or get my FREE posture booklet for expert advice and exercises and begin upgrading your posture today.
Summary
Above are ideal solutions but we don’t live in an ideal world. Don’t worry if you can’t do all of these, something is better than nothing – just start with 1 thing.
-Make changes to your workspace, you don’t need fancy equipment – although that’s nice. Look around and see what you have that you can use in your home.
-Get moving regularly.
-Try my free course and make changes straight away.
Lots of ideas to get you started so what are you waiting for? Enjoy your Pain Free Start.
Take care, Helen
Helen Manders BSc (Hons) MCSP, HCPC,
