It might seem too comfy to be causing any real physical harm, but believe it or not, your desk job could actually be hurting you. Sitting in one place for eight or more hours out of the day and staring at a screen isn’t necessarily the best thing for your health, even if you do get a decent diet and exercise outside of the office. Here are some of the most common workplace health problems, and some tips on how to manage them.
Joint Pain And Stiffness
If you suffer from joint pain on the job, you’re certainly not alone; one in twenty-five working-age adults in the United States face work limitations they attribute to arthritis and joint pain. Even if you sit at a desk for all or most of your job, you could still be damaging your joints. Keep an eye on your chair positioning, as well as your keyboard and mouse placement. Having these items in the wrong place can be hard on your wrists and hands, and correcting them can reduce overall joint pain.
Eye Strain
You’d be upset with your kid if they sat in front of the television for eight hours a day, but that’s essentially what you’re doing all day at work if you work an office job. A recent survey found full-time workers and Gen-Yers spend an average of eight hours every weekday in front of a screen, resulting in sore, strained, and dry eyes.
There are several methods available for addressing this, depending on your situation. You can purchase specialized glasses designed to help filter out harmful blue light that strains your eyes or adjust your monitor settings to reduce your blue light exposure. Additionally, taking a few seconds every so often during the day to look at something non-electronic can help your eyes relax.
Back Pain
This is possibly one of the most common complaints of office workers everywhere. When you spend all day slouched over a computer while sitting at a desk, the muscles in your back remain out of balance, causing lower back strain and potentially even doing damage to your muscles and spine.
It’s important to practice good posture while sitting at your desk to prevent further damage to your back, but it’s an even better idea to limit how much you sit at your desk to begin with. Take some time throughout your day to get up and move around. If this isn’t an option, consider some alternatives to the standard desk chair, such as a standing desk or an exercise ball. Most importantly, stay active, in and out of the office. Keeping an active lifestyle can reduce the amount of damage done to your back in the long-run.
Make sure to take care of your body as much as possible while in the office; just a few simple adjustments can help relieve many common complaints of pain from office work.
