Five minutes to a healthier future you
That’s right – it will only take five minutes. But as chiropractors, we promise you that this is an investment of five minutes that your neck, back, wrists and hips will thank you for in the months, years, and decades to come. Basically, we’re asking you to stop what you’re doing and make sure that your desk is set up optimally for your spinal health.
Desk Set-Up Checklist
- Is the top of the monitor at eye height?
Adjust the screen height now so that you don’t unconsciously adjust to it by slouching.
- Is the monitor directly in front of your body?
Adjust the monitor or adjust your chair now. Even a small twist through your body to see the monitor could cause you long-term pain given how many hours most of us sit at our desks.
- Can your arms rest on the desk at a 90-degree angle to your body while you type and use the mouse?
Raise or lower your chair now. Move the keyboard and mouse to where they need to be.
- Can your feet rest flat on the floor, tucked under the desk?
Take off high heels (just between meetings) and put the stuff taking up space under your desk somewhere else.
- Are you ever tempted to sandwich your telephone between your head and your shoulder so you can keep typing while you talk?
Don’t do this (at least not often or for long). Use the speak function or invest in a headset.
What about laptops?
They do make things difficult, don’t they? If at all possible, we recommend you purchase a separate keyboard so you can raise the monitor (a laptop raiser is another great investment), but keep the keyboard and mouse at an easy arm’s length distance.
Get Creative
You might be thinking that that’s well and good, but totally impractical when you’re traveling for work, working from the boardroom or the kitchen table, or using a hot desk in a shared office. But with a little creativity, you can achieve a workspace to optimise your spinal health anywhere.
Prop your monitor up on books or boxes.
Add cushions to your chair to bring the height up or abandon sitting and stand at a bench (pretend you have a top of the line sitting-standing desk!)
And keep moving…
Lastly, even the best desk set-up can’t get around the fact that human beings aren’t meant to sit for eight-plus hours a day. Take stretch breaks, stand while you’re on the phone, walk to a colleague’s desk rather than emailing and actually take your lunch break every now and again (head out for a brain and body break, by taking a refreshing walk rather than sitting while you eat).
In conclusion, remember that we’re here to help with any aches or pains that creep up on you. Please call us at (03) 5381 1892 to make an appointment with one of the team at Back 4 Life Wellness if you have any concerns. Don’t let small aches and pains turn into big ones.
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