How to Maintain Your Health

Posted on: 5 February 2018

Having an inside desk job is nice when there's a heatwave outside, but sometimes sitting at a desk all day leads to niggling back and neck pain. If you have just started your first office job, there are several ways you can make sure this type of pain doesn't happen to you, so consider which ones are most relevant to your situation.

Learn desk zen

Since you have not worked in an office before, you're not aware of the perfect position for your body, so you should create a level of zen which does not put undue stress on your body. To create this happy place, you need to:

• set the chair at a level where your feet sit flat on the floor
• sit so your body is one arm's length from the computer monitor
• adjust your computer monitor so it sits slightly above your eye level

The reason why this sitting position is so important is that it stops slouching. It also stops over-reaching for the keyboard, which reduces shoulder and neck pain. As a final part of desk zen, take your cellphone out of your back pocket and put it somewhere else. When you are sitting on a cell phone, one bottom cheek sits marginally higher than the other. This sitting position twists your pelvis, which in turn puts strain on your lower back.

If you do notice a minor ache in your back and shoulders during the day, there are stretches you can do to reduce the pain.

Stretch out the ache

The moment you notice your body is beginning to stiffen up, it's time to get up and move. Getting into the habit of walking away from your desk for 5 minutes every hour will reduce the chance of back and shoulder pain developing. Moving around means extra blood and oxygen flowing through the body. As these flow through you, your nerve endings also open up, and your pain levels reduce.

Stretches while you are walking around or before you sit back down help to loosen the muscles which have tightened up while sitting. For example, when you sit in a chair too long, your hips feel tense. Stand in front of a wall with one foot pushed against the wall base. Place the other foot further back and lower your body, so it is in the lunge position. Use the wall for balance if necessary.

After the first month at your new job, if you do notice an increase in body aches and pains, visit a local chiropractor at a company like Advanced Chiropractic Clinic to find out other stretches you can do to prevent stiffness in your body.