What are the worst things you can do to affect your overall health and well-being?
Most of you will answer with things like drinking lots of alcohol, doing drugs, smoking, and being inactive. But, did you know that working at a desk for hours on end is right up there? It might not seem like it, but it is genuinely one of the worst things you can do for your health.
For starters, it makes you inactive, which is never good. Moreover, desk work can be hard on a lot of your muscles, causing chronic pain throughout your spine. It also messes up your posture, which leads to more pain and further health problems down the line. Lastly, it can be very taxing on your eyes, leading to vision problems and headaches.
Keeping all of this in mind, here are some top health tips to keep you well while working at a desk for hours:
Take regular breaks
Set a one-hour timer on your phone and get up whenever it goes off. Have a quick walk around, stretch your body out, and return to work. Taking these short breaks will help you clean your mind, while also giving your eyes and body a break. You take yourself out of being in a seated position, so your muscles can relax and stretch out, preventing loads of postural problems.
Set up an ergonomic workstation
Sit at your desk in an ergonomic fashion, which basically means the most optimal position for your body to be in. You should have your screen in line with your eyes, so you aren’t hunched over starting at it. Your elbows should rest on something and be bent to around 90 degrees. It’s hard to explain the correct position in writing, so here’s a video that shows you the optimal ergonomic workstation:
Alter the screen brightness
Don’t make your screen too bright as this can lead to computer vision syndrome, which basically causes chronic headaches and irritated eyes. Instead, reduce the brightness and play around with the settings. Most monitors have brightness settings that let you set it to a ‘night mode’. Do this as it naturally lowers the brightness and makes your screen easier on the eyes.
Keep a bottle of water on your desk
Hydration is so important for your overall health, and a lot of us forget to drink when we’re working away at a desk. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times, so you have a constant reminder to drink. It will ensure you don’t go through the day without a drink of water for hours on end!
Exercise
Try to exercise as much as you can around your work schedule. You can even do some little exercises during your short breaks. Things like planks and glute bridges are really effective as they counter the effects of sitting down. Using a resistance band and doing rotator cuff exercises or exercises for your upper back muscles can also counter some of the effects of desk work. What usually happens is the muscles at the front of your body get really tight, while the ones on the back get loose and weak. So, you end up with terrible posture and a lot of pain. Focus on posture-correcting exercises to feel better and healthier.
There you have it; some top health tips for desk workers. Try them out during your next shift and I promise you will feel a difference.
