Nerd Fitness: Stay Ergonomic While Glued to a Desk

Ever taken a moment to look away from your PC and realise how far you’ve leaned in to your screen. With this caveman-like posture, defaulting to a hunched position over a desk and then freezing that way until the need arises for that next caffeine fix! It’s trying to defrost and straighten up when you start to feel the adverse effects and regret why you sat that way in the first place. Well, we are here to tell you that some of those specific aches and pains can be avoided with a few ergonomic alternative practices to your current slouch.
So if sitting has got you down, sit back (preferably with your back straight and shoulders down) and relax, while we educate you on nerd fitness relating to ergonomics, and how you can keep your muscles knot-free while being glued to a desk. And even if you are still on lockdown, these practices can work for your home work station too!

Your Desk Space

• Be aware of your environment – It may seem like a strange starting point, but this one is important. The way you set up your desk can improve the way you sit, increase your ability to focus, relieve stress, and improve personal ergonomics.
• Remove desk clutter – You don’t want to be trying to manoeuvre your mouse around your mountains of paperwork, and, less clutter means fewer distractions.
• Screen height – Make sure that you computer is at eye level because you don’t want to be looking up or down at your screen as this will put strain on your eyes and neck.

Posture

• How to sit at a desk – Keep your back straight, with your shoulders relaxed and your forearms resting on the desk. Your mouse should be in line with your keyboard and both should give you about 15cm of desk room to lean on.
• Back support – Find a chair that supports the middle of your back well. Alternatively, you can get a backrest that straps onto your chair and will keep you well supported.
• Elevate your feet – Many people suffer from lower back pain when sitting at a desk for long periods of time. Elevating your feet with a footrest or even just with a box under your desk will relieve some of the pressure on your lower back.

Timing

• Limit your screen time – Look away from your screen every few minutes to give your eyes a break. Starring at a screen for a long time can also make your eyes feel dry, so have some eye drops on hand.
• Take a walk – Getting away from your desk is important. Ideally, you shouldn’t be sitting at your desk for longer than an hour at a time. Take these short breaks to fetch printing, make some coffee, or just get some fresh air.

Lighting

• A well-lit room is a must – Adjust your lighting so you don’t have to squint when reading, but also make sure that your room is not too bright as this could cause headaches. Lighting can easily be tweaked by replacing bulbs.
• Blue light – Tech companies are very aware of the effects of blue light rays that are emitted from screens. They have long term effects on eye health and interrupt antural sleeping patterns. Blue light filters can be turned on under PC display settings.
• Display brightness – Make sure that the brightness is adjusted according to the light in the room and time of day.

Even though these ergonomic tips may seem small and insignificant, they could help you avoid some long term health issues. So give them a try at work or at home, and get your nerd fitness on!
*The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.