Still Working from Home?

More of us now than ever are working from home, which means sitting for long periods of time at a desk.

It often also means more inactivity, fewer workouts and less yoga, which ultimately could have your back really aching.

If you’ve been experiencing back pain while working from home in this pandemic, try these 5 tips to help prevent back pain in the first place:

1. Don’t Just Sit There

If you do have to sit a lot for work, take frequent “mini breaks”.

These could include a quick stretch, some deep breaths, walking up or down your stairs to grab a drink of water or going for a quick walk around the block.

The idea is to build small chunks of movement into your day so your muscles don’t become tight and overworked.

2. Optimize Your Work from Home Space 

Make sure your legs are at 90 degrees and your feet are flat on the floor when you work at your desk.

Take the time to invest in a proper chair and ensure that your computer screen is at eye level.

Check out the article we wrote about this a few months ago.

3. Stretch at your Desk

If you do have sit all day for work, take frequent breaks to stretch your back, legs, arms chest, neck and shoulders.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “sitting is the new smoking”.

Try a 10 or 20 minute yoga video or ask your HR Manager about starting a Virtual Corporate Yoga program for your team while they work from home.

It’s much harder to fix problems after they occur.

Instead, stretch frequently throughout the day to keep muscle tension at bay.

4. Set an Alarm

Set a timer on your phone or laptop to remind you when to stop working, take a break or get up and stretch or move.

About every 20-30 minutes should be optimal.

5. Watch your Posture

Just like Mom used to say – sit up straight & don’t slouch!

Be mindful of your posture throughout the day and when you catch yourself slouching, sit up nice & tall.

Keep your abdominals muscles ever so slightly contracted when sitting for work, to avoid your back muscles doing all the work to hold you up (that’s not their job!)