Ever since the pandemic hit, professionals like you now spend long periods working from home. Perhaps you don't have a proper office chair or working from the dining room table (just like me writing this blog!). Though working from home has perks, the flip side could be serious back and neck pain. Prolonged sitting along with poor posture, may exacerbate the problem and hamper your daily life.
Consider maintaining correct posture so that your back does not hurt while sitting for a prolonged period. Here are some effective tips that are worth incorporating into your daily routine to bid goodbye to your back pain while working from home.
Set Up an Ergonomic Workstation
Did you know that a third of all back pain problems at work can be avoided with a proper workstation? An ergonomic workspace is important for both your mental and physical well-being. While working from home, most people sit on their bed, sofa or at the dining room table with their laptops. Sitting on a bed or couch may lead to poor posture and consequent back pain as the table might not be at a great height. Instead, consider sitting at a desk to maintain good posture and experience greater overall comfort. This is also one of the best ways to keep your back pain at bay.
Find an Ideal Chair
Want to hold a good posture and strengthen your back muscles? Look for ergonomic chairs that help you sit comfortably and are straight and upright. However, ensure that the chair you choose is not fluffy or soft. Also, while sitting, adjust your chair's height. This ensures that your knees are on the same level as your hips. This enables you to hold your feet flat on the ground, which is essential for maintaining a healthy posture. Now that you have sat straight, make sure that your wrists are in line with your elbows. So, while working at a desk, keep your head up, shoulders back, and spine straight. If needed, place a block or a book under your monitor to keep your screen at eye level. If you are quite short and often find your legs dangling from the chair or are on tiptoes, consider placing a block (or the Yoback) on the floor to keep your feet flat.
Change Your Position Often
Sitting in one position for too long may increase your back pain. Thus, changing your position to relax your back muscles is always better. You may stand on a taller desk or take frequent breaks to avoid tension in your back muscles. You could roll out on a wheel like the Yoback during your breaks to relieve your sore and tired muscles. Also, you should stretch your muscles at least once an hour or take a short nap at lunch to relax your back.
Support Your Lower Back
Sitting upright for a prolonged period creates stress and pressure on your lower back. So, while working from home, providing extra support to your lower spine is essential. Here, you may roll up a towel or a sweatshirt and place it in the small of your back to provide good support. The use of low back support helps you to maintain an appropriate posture and decrease back pain. The Yoback is an excellent lumbar support. It's strong but comfortable, and the fact that it's not attached to your chair means you have to lean into it, keeping it in place. This stops you from slouching and ignoring the support.
Exercise for Correct Posture
Exercise has several health benefits. It is one of the most effective ways to strengthen your back muscles and deal with back pain. Thus, engage in bodyweight and core muscle buildup exercises. Also, it's important to understand that excess body weight may hamper the functionality of your muscles, joints, and tendons, and consequently, cause back pain. Thus, exercise regularly to keep your spine and the whole body healthy.
Shoulder blade squeezes, chin tucks, bridges, downward facing dog, side bends, cobra pose, etc. are some exercises that may help you prevent back pain. You may also include planks, stretches, and leg raises to maintain good posture. When your back muscles feel sore or tired, you may also roll out on Yoback to stretch your muscles. This not only helps you to mitigate pain but also effectively relaxes your whole body.
Use the Yoback Daily to Maintain Correct Posture & Keep Back Pain Away
The Yoback is the perfect solution to your posture problems. Ergonomic chairs and standing desks are great, but they can get expensive, especially if you are working hybrid and need to go into the office regularly. Place one piece of the Yoback on your lower back (lumbar) between yourself and the chair. This straightens your spine and stops you from slouching all day.
Look at your feet right now. Are you on tiptoes? We should sit with our feet planted on the ground, but often we don't. Use the remaining two blocks and place them under your desk to keep your feet flat. As an added bonus you can stretch out your calves simultaneously.
If you have a standing desk then you're halfway there! Standing desks are a great way to reduce back pain and help posture. However, your feet can start to ache after a while. Using the two blocks under your desk, you can stretch out your ankles, calves and hamstrings while working.
The portability is the best part about the Yoback and how it helps your posture. No matter your location, whether on the train, in your car, at work, or on a long-haul flight, just one piece of the Yoback can revolutionise how you sit. Permanently.
Get yours today and start feeling more productive at work tomorrow!
