As you read this article have a look at your posture now. Are you sitting upright in your chair with your knees slightly below your hips? (This maintains the natural curve in your lower spine.) Are your feet flat on the floor? Is your work station at elbow height and your shoulders relaxed? Are you sitting back into your chair looking at your monitor, which is at eye level and directly in front of you Are your elbows at 90 as you type? Do you regularly switch over hands when using the mouse?
These questions all need to be answered YES, in order to maintain good posture, whilst working at a computer. Too many people place unnecessary strain on their body by crossing their legs, looking at a monitor side on, slouching or leaning forward to see the screen and simply spending too long in a seated position.
Sitting at your work station for long periods of time, using your mouse, typing, answering the phone can all lead to tension, pain and postural adaptions in your lower back, neck and shoulders. Over time muscles, joints and ligaments become very strained and over-used, and bones become misaligned. Poor seated posture results in muscle fatigue, and weakness, compression of blood vessels and nerves, causing pain, pins and needles, headaches and migraines and a whole host of other complaints. It can also affect both position and function of the major organs of your body.
Being fully aware of how to set up your work station and correct body posture will greatly reduce your chance of suffering from any of the above conditions. However it is also important to remember to move. The body needs to move regularly! Even stretching at your desk will help to prevent problems. Every time you check your watch, put the phone down or make a cup of tea, check your posture. It is easy to lose track of time, allow tension to build up in the shoulders and start to slouch. Stretching regularly for a few minutes every day will help prevent work-related injuries. But don’t forget to get up out of your seat as well, and have a proper stretch, along with a cup of tea!
Stretching doesn’t have to be long winded or complicated. Try these ones:
1.Look over your left shoulder and hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on the right.
2. Drop your left ear down towards your left shoulder, whilst relaxing the right shoulder. Hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on the right
3. Turn your head 45 degrees to the left, then gently look down, until you feel a stretch across the back of your neck and shoulder. Repeat on the right.
4.Finally rotate/twist your back to the left and grab hold of the back of the chair and use it to increase your stretch. Repeat on the right to give your upper and mid back a stretch. You may find one side feel more stiff then the other-giving you something to work on!
As well as maintaining good posture and stretching, having regular (weekly or monthly) deep tissue massage will also help to eliminate stress, tension and pain which builds up in your body. It can detect areas where there is already strain and work to restore the muscles to their normal function. Deep tissue massage also helps relax your back, neck and shoulder muscles and can help alleviate headaches and migraines. Special stretching techniques can also be incorporated to help lengthen muscles, which have become shortened due to postural adaptions, (e.g. medial rotators of the shoulders and posterior neck musculature).
Deep tissue massage also helps to eliminate high levels of stress , induce better sleep and generally leave you feeling more relaxed and able to cope!
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