Many people spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else, so with World Health Day coming up on April 7, it’s a good time to look at how to keep healthy at the office.
Alan McDonald, managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at Humanscale, which designs and manufactures ergonomic products, says that in the past, workspaces were designed from a functional perspective, however there is a move towards workspaces adapting to the people who use them instead.
He says there are small changes that everyone can make to their work environment and behaviour to improve comfort, reduce neck and back pain, minimise eye strain and improve performance. These include:
• Taking frequent breaks: Stand up from your desk every 45 minutes and spend two minutes walking around the office. You are not designed to sit all day. You can have the best ergonomic equipment in the world, but if you don’t use it properly it will make no difference.
• Finding opportunities to move: Stand up while you’re on the phone and go and see people at their desks instead of emailing them. Not only will it improve circulation it’ll improve colleague relations and reduce chances of mistakes.
• Adjusting your screen position: Ensure your screen is properly angled toward you and at eye level. Move your screen to meet your eyes rather than moving your head to meet your screen. This will do wonders for back and neck pain. Your screen should be at arm’s length from you.
• Noting your eye level: Make sure the top of the screen is about eye level. You can easily fix this by either lowering your chair or getting yourself a monitor arm. If you’re using an iPad or a tablet, place it on a surface rather than holding it.
• Supporting your joints: Support your elbows and wrists as a lack of support can lead to headaches and neck pain. You can do this with the arms of your chair, leaning your elbows on your desk and obtaining a simple wrist support.
• Adjusting your chair: You should have your knees at around 90 degrees and your feet should be resting flat on the floor or on a footrest.
You should have a chair which isn’t rigid at your back. Sit back and take the support of your chair aiming for between 5 and 10 degrees. This eases any tension and improves core strength.
• Choosing the right desk: Many people are switching to standing desks, but standing all day isn’t the answer either. Research has linked health risks with both sitting and standing for prolonged periods, so find a balance between sitting and standing throughout the day. Switching between seated and standing postures periodically is not only good for energy and productivity, but for overall health. Studies have shown incorporating extended periods of standing into your day can burn calories, have a positive impact on wellbeing and prevent diseases such as heart disease, obesity and high blood pressure.
healthyliving@thenational.ae
