In recent years, our work requires less and less physical effort, and working sitting most of the time is the reality of many professions. But, our body was physically shaped for an active life. Therefore, we are not used to spending hours sitting or resting. It's destructive for our health. Exercises for those who work sitting down are essential to reduce pain and discomfort, symptoms that are so common in contemporary life. Working from home can be a new challenge for many people. But do you know the consequences and negative effects on physical and mental health that working sitting can bring? You can find out more about them below!
Ergonomics And Sedentary Lifestyle
The lack of physical activity and the adoption of inappropriate postures in remote work boost concerns regarding health during the home office. The pandemic scenario temporarily eliminated the need to travel to work, which, for many, involved short walks that contribute to the maintenance of the musculoskeletal system.
In addition to the extinction of these small moments of physical activity, using residential environments as an office generates ergonomically unfavorable situations. The sitting position is the most adopted in work environments. But the prolonged maintenance of this habit causes the adoption of inappropriate postures and the overload of body structure, which can lead to pain in the neck, lumbar, dorsal, arm, forearm, and hands, among other regions.
Therefore, remaining seated for long periods working on the computer is one of the causes of postural pain during working from home. It is recommended to adopt a physical activity routine in the proportion of 5 to 7 days a week to prevent this possible malaise and compensate for lack of exercise.
What is the importance of ergonomics?
In addition to physical exercises and stretching, it is essential to have an ergonomic work environment. Because ergonomics is about overall well-being and performance, it creates a healthy environment to work in, which gives the person a good posture and, as a result, reduces discomfort.
There is no point in strengthening the region if you are constantly in a bad posture, forcing your muscles to work the wrong way. Shoulder pain is an example of this. When we're too anxious, we even change our breathing. All the musculature involved in the process works differently. That forces an unnatural movement, which the body is not used to. As a result, it generates muscle pain.
In this context, ergonomics is essential - not only to offer comfort but to prevent bad posture from harming our quality of life.
Carelessness With Posture
Sitting in front of a computer for many hours can cause considerable muscle pain. And this is also due to poor posture. The spine is part of the body that suffers most from this lack of care, which is harmful to health. Complaints of back pain are the most common among the active population.
Doctors explain that a lack of posture care combined with a lack of physical activity during the day can cause pain, compress the nerves, and cause serious health problems.
What to do:
How to reduce all these problems? Sitting exercises can be a great start! There are different types of exercises for those who work sitting down. Such as stretching and strengthening. It's also significant to include some break times in your routine. Make calls while standing up and set daily alarms for labor gymnastics exercises. Take a look here to learn more.
Upper Limb Injuries
It is essential to pay attention to ergonomics. Lack of care generates tendon load, causing pain, numbness, and loss of functional capacity. The coffee break was indispensable in office routine, but this does not happen in home office. On the contrary, the workload is heavy, and when it is break time, we wind up doing some house chores.
Another frequent issue is stress and muscle fatigue, especially in fists and hands, which is a problem that has also increased during the pandemic. The decrease in medical care during this period, combined with the reduction in physical exercise and increased anxiety, generated stress and increased effort, causing discomfort and pain.
In order to prevent injuries and even possible surgical treatments, it is recommended to:
- Stretch, strengthen, and adapt muscles in ergonomic positions. Adequate division of workload, household functions.
- Periodic evaluation by the specialist. When symptoms appear, do not self-medicate. Look for a health professional for evaluation.
Mental Health
In addition to physical repercussions, staying in home office for long periods without attention to proper care can facilitate the incidence of psychological comorbidities.
Remote working may cause a feeling of confinement. Therefore, it is common for individuals subjected to these circumstances to present with acute stress. They remain in the same environment and work with a heavy workload, which generates exhaustion.
Many people change their sleeping and eating routines. That directly impacts their physical and emotional health and hormone production.
It is better to maintain a regulated routine, focusing on the balance between professional and recreational activities, plus the adoption of self-care strategies. In this way, it becomes simpler to achieve a certain harmony when investing time in different activities.
Vision
Continued exposure to monitors is among daily life adopted in remote work. This practice can lead to ocular repercussions. The use of monitors leads to a possible decrease in the frequency of eye blinking. That can give rise to instability in the quality of vision. This phenomenon decreases the lubrication of the eyeballs. Therefore, symptoms such as dryness and burning may arise as a result.
These devices can alter certain aspects of vision if used for prolonged periods. Such as the ability to see closely and, in children, stimulate myopia.
When it comes to preventing this discomfort, it is recommended occasional voluntary blinking to ensure an adequate level of lubrication, in addition to the use of lubricants to stabilize tears, breaks every 20 minutes at work, avoiding the use of near vision for 20 seconds, and daily activities in the sun. It is important to remember that the monitor position is critical for eye health: the person should be sitting an arm's length away, with the monitor slightly below the eye line, and its brightness should not go against the ambient light. To learn more, check this article.
Conclusion
Throughout this article, we've learned how to keep your eyes healthy. Also, we've seen the importance of exercise for those who work in a sitting position to reduce discomfort and improve their quality of life. Stretching for neck, wrist, and legs. The important thing is to start and create a healthy routine. It's worth remembering that it often takes occupation to build a habit.
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