For this month’s segment of Wellness Wednesday, I’ve decided to dedicate it to ergonomics! Ergonomics is defined as the study of people’s efficiency in the workplace. Working at your desk for more than 8 hours a day 5 times a week takes an extreme toll on your body. Especially if you’re not moving around that much. It’s been almost a year since I changed professions and have been glued to a desk. I can say for certain this has had a negative impact on my body. I have gained weight, my endurance levels have decreased and the posture I am in during work has started to give me back pains.
Research conducted has shown that lower back pain problems are one of the world’s most common work-related disabilities. Now, this does not solely include people who work in offices, but also other areas such as agriculture. As you can see millions of people around the world suffer from it but there are ways we can remedy this! I’ve researched and applied some changes to my work schedule without it affecting my job to achieve good ergonomics. Sitting in a chair all day has not helped my weight or posture, so I bought a standing desk converter. The idea is to be able to work on your computer while standing up. Functionality is still the same and you can move around freely. When I bought this I immediately noticed myself feeling less restricted and after just 2 weeks my back pains decreased. This, of course, was in my case and for others, it may take you a bit longer to adjust to the drastic change, but don’t get discouraged! Just make sure to maintain a neutral posture and not doing awkward back, elbow or wrist postures. If you want to read more about improving ergonomics in the workplace then I recommend reading the 8 Fundamental Ergonomic Principles for Better Work Performance. You’ll find countless articles on this site!
The main thing that made a huge impact on me was walking around. I scheduled my two 15-minute breaks for walking every day. I try to just go outside and walk around the premises of the building I work at. If I’m unable to walk outside, then I walk around office. It has been a game changer! I also drink a lot of water instead of soda or energy drinks. Coffee has been a struggle for me to let go of so for now I’ll work around it. During all of this I have become more conscious of how I spend my 40 hours a week. Even though I have to work I also don’t want my mind and body to become affected in a negative way. As for the weight, I’ll to be more mindful of what I eat. I usually have salads for lunch but some times I have the occasional fast food cravings. Meal prepping is something I have been looking into and Pinterest has amazing ideas for this!
I hope this Wellness Wednesday created an active goal for you to improve the environment you create in your work place! It’s important we take charge when we see ourselves getting affected by our jobs.
If you have any recommendations, please leave comments below!
Wellness Wednesday
For this month’s segment of Wellness Wednesday, I’ve decided to dedicate it to ergonomics! Ergonomics is defined as the study of people’s efficiency in the workplace. Working at your desk for more than 8 hours a day 5 times a week takes an extreme toll on your body. Especially if you’re not moving around that much. It’s been almost a year since I changed professions and have been glued to a desk. I can say for certain this has had a negative impact on my body. I have gained weight, my endurance levels have decreased and the posture I am in during work has started to give me back pains.
Research conducted has shown that lower back pain problems are one of the world’s most common work-related disabilities. Now, this does not solely include people who work in offices, but also other areas such as agriculture. As you can see millions of people around the world suffer from it but there are ways we can remedy this! I’ve researched and applied some changes to my work schedule without it affecting my job to achieve good ergonomics. Sitting in a chair all day has not helped my weight or posture, so I bought a standing desk converter. The idea is to be able to work on your computer while standing up. Functionality is still the same and you can move around freely. When I bought this I immediately noticed myself feeling less restricted and after just 2 weeks my back pains decreased. This, of course, was in my case and for others, it may take you a bit longer to adjust to the drastic change, but don’t get discouraged! Just make sure to maintain a neutral posture and not doing awkward back, elbow or wrist postures. If you want to read more about improving ergonomics in the workplace then I recommend reading the 8 Fundamental Ergonomic Principles for Better Work Performance. You’ll find countless articles on this site!
The main thing that made a huge impact on me was walking around. I scheduled my two 15-minute breaks for walking every day. I try to just go outside and walk around the premises of the building I work at. If I’m unable to walk outside, then I walk around office. It has been a game changer! I also drink a lot of water instead of soda or energy drinks. Coffee has been a struggle for me to let go of so for now I’ll work around it. During all of this I have become more conscious of how I spend my 40 hours a week. Even though I have to work I also don’t want my mind and body to become affected in a negative way. As for the weight, I’ll to be more mindful of what I eat. I usually have salads for lunch but some times I have the occasional fast food cravings. Meal prepping is something I have been looking into and Pinterest has amazing ideas for this!
I hope this Wellness Wednesday created an active goal for you to improve the environment you create in your work place! It’s important we take charge when we see ourselves getting affected by our jobs.
If you have any recommendations, please leave comments below!
Peace, love and Kelapo ♥
-Gabriella
Tags: fitness, fitness tips, fitness workout, kelapo, posture, walking, work, workout ideas