desk

This is not about a scene from a thriller movie but this is a real-life scenario. What we pertain to today is not a fictional character in the flick but a silent killer that brings pain for a long time. You might have encountered this before but you may have ignored it because you have thought it was just another numbness caused by sitting for too long. If it's the case, then you need to read this article so as to find the solution with us.

This might be part of your daily routine: you work for more than seven hours a day without alternating your postures in the office. With that, you might experience severe spine strain. The spine pain that you are encountering might put you at grave risk. Hence, there is a term for it called the silent killer. This is because the spine strain that you feel might escalate to something very risky for your health. In general, some individuals experience illnesses after a long time such as osteoporosis.

So, these things are very worrisome because with just a simple pain around the waist, you might fall very ill because of improper ergonomics.

Now, how could you combat the effects of prolonged sitting?

How could you make sure that you are keeping an active lifestyle even when you are sitting on the office chair? In next part of the article, we will talk about the ways to enable you sit free from ergonomic pain.

Periodic rest breaks

These are in-between breaks during the office time just like the coffee break. Such activities could help you refresh and relax even for a couple of minutes say 5 to 10 minutes. Aside from the power nap, you may take these breaks to stay in a deep concentration.

Make sure your display is set to the proper height

Monitor's top should either match or be slightly above your neutral eyesight. You can use books to boost the display if it is too low. 40cm to 75cm is the best distance between you and your comuter screen.

When you have to incline your head while working, it might create back pain over time. This proclivity may force you to lean forward, which might cause spine pain when you are sitting.

Adjust the height of your chair according to your stature by utilizing your knees as a guideline

The correct sitting height is when your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are at the same level as or slightly lower than your hip. Standing in front of the chair and adjusting the seat height till the highest point is just below your kneecap is another option.

Sit close and comfortably to the desk as you can

To avoid leaning into your monitor's display while working, streaming, or gaming, you must be in a naturally relaxed position. 

Every object you use very often should be within your arm's reach, avoiding the need to extend out awkwardly to grasp it and so lowering the risk of straining muscle or ligament.

Alternating activities in the office

Doing the same routine over and over again would make you stagnant in the long run. For example, you are photocopying lots of paper for 1 hour, which would waste your energy because your power is focused on just one activity. Therefore, you need to make sure that in 30 minutes, you could do 2 to 3 different activities so you may have a diversion. Your thoughts and body could do different things and your energy would be divided in different things within less than an hour; it could also accelerate your brain function.