Many people across the globe sit for hours and hours at their desks and/or laptops; and most don’t sit upright with good posture. And it’s killing us. Literally.
Did you know that sustained postures and repetitive tasks can be just as debilitating, over time, as more demanding physical labour?
With all the time we now spend on computers, watching Netflix, and even worse, looking down at our phones, we’re developing, as a culture, what’s called ‘forward head posture’. It creates enormous stress on the spine and its supportive muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.
It turns out that having good or bad posture affects many aspects of health, from mood to lung function and many things in between:
confidence
thoughts
balance
mood (i.e. depression)
concentration
attitude
energy levels (fatigue)
memory
abdominal organ function
joint range of motion
breathing/lung capacity (respiratory function)
muscle, joint, ligament strain
neck and back pain
headaches
TMJ (jaw) pain
Repetitive poor posture causes vertebral subluxation – misalignment of the spine resulting in nerve irritation.
When looking at your desk set-up it is important you analyse all the following areas:
Chair height/desk height
Keyboard and mouse position
Breathe from your diaphragm
Don’t squint
Don’t cross legs
Use a headset (if necessary)
Standing desks are great also
Making simple and straight‐forward changes can reduce your risk of injuries significantly, and minimize the risk of musculoskeletal problems in the workplace.
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