Eight hours in a chair in front of a computer, five days a week can take a serious toll on your body. From avoiding eye strain and back pain to reducing calorific snacks, here are tips that will help you stay healthy and in shape at work.
Snack Smart
Take a break, get a breath of fresh air, and skip the fried, or sugar-loaded snacks. Smart snacks would include dry fruits, fruits, nuts and seeds etc. or you can carry a homemade salad or granola too.
Posture Perfect
Slouching while working is very bad because, over a period, it can cause a musculoskeletal disorder. This can further lead to recurring pain, numbness, tingling and stiffening of various body muscles. In order to avoid this problem, follow these steps:
- Maintain the 90-90-90 (neutral) posture.
- Adjust chair height to make thigh parallel to the ground.
- Adjust armrest height to maintain relaxed shoulder position and ensure wrists are straight.
- Lock chair back in the upright position.
Water Wins
Drinking an adequate amount of water, eight to 10 glasses every day can help keep you hydrated. Many foods are also good sources of water; fruits like oranges, grapefruit, grapes, watermelon, and apples can help keep you healthy and hydrated. The 3 o’clock lull that you may feel at work can be due to dehydration.
Laptop Level
Though laptop stand raises the laptop screen to your eye level, you may end up bending your wrist upwards, which can cause wrist problems in the future. To maintain a straight wrist position:
- Use an external keyboard: While using a laptop stand, use an external keyboard for typing. It helps in keeping your wrist in the correct position.
- Take support of the desk: Keeping the external keyboard on the edge of the desk leaves your arm with support. Hence, move the keyboard slightly in front, bringing your chair closer and rest your arm on the desk.
- Increase chair height appropriately: Adjust your chair height in such a manner that your arm rests completely on the armrest, maintaining the 90-90-90 rule.
Exceptional Exercise
One of the most important things you can do during the day to stay healthy and in shape is to exercise. Walking during lunch is a great idea. Not only are you burning calories, but you’re de-stressing and refreshing. If you really can’t get out during lunch, park farther away than you normally do so you have a short walk to work in the morning and evening or make it a habit of taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Super Stretches
Take periodic health-breaks, because if you get too focused on a task, this will lead to a still posture, which can reduce blood flow to muscles and can increase fatigues. Over time, it can also lead to numbness and pain. Hence, to avoid this problem, keep varying your task during the day, regularly adjust your position and flex your body to improve blood circulation. This will help to keep you energetic and active all day long.
Clean the Clutter
Your keyboard, mouse and phone can harbour thousands of germs that are just waiting to make you sick. So get out the disinfectant. Viruses can survive for hours to days on a hard surface … if a virus such as a rotavirus were on the surface of a telephone receiver, infectious doses could easily be transferred to persons using the telephone.
Recent studies have indicated that sitting for long periods of time does not have a positive impact on your health. However, following these tips can give your health a good boost!
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