With so many people now unexpectedly working from home, with no time to plan for it, there are many starting to get new aches and pains. Here are some tips to help you:
- Don’t treat your laptop like its a PC! Laptops were designed as portable computers, they weren’t meant for long hours of use. If your screen is at the right height, the keyboard is too high, if the keyboard is ok, the screen is too low. What do you do? Get a separate keyboard, and stick the laptop up on something so that the screen is at eye level. And make sure you are sitting on a comfortable, supportive chair, and a table/desk at a good height for you.
- Take movement breaks! We are not necessarily getting the interruptions from co-workers that we are used to, or running to the photocopier or printer anymore. So you may need to remind yourself to move (or set reminders in your phone)- get up and walk around/stand up/change position/stretch. Get away from your computer at lunchtime and TAKE A PROPER LUNCHBREAK!
- Exercise regularly – most people’s daily footsteps are down, so you may need to make a conscious effort to exercise more. Get a pedometer on your phone and try to keep the footsteps up. HAVING SAID THAT – try to mix up your activity with a mix of walking/cycling/online classes. Too much of the same thing out of nowhere can also lead to injury.
See the image for a quick checklist of what your desk should look like. Bear in mind, no “perfect” set up beats moving!