The Blog

Healthy Habits for Remote Workers

If you are working from home either full time or part time, there are a few daily challenges you can do to help mitigate some of the risks.

Molly Woollett

22/05/24

The Blog

Healthy Habits for Remote Workers

If you are working from home either full time or part time, there are a few daily challenges you can do to help mitigate some of the risks.

22/05/24

Introduction

Even though the pandemic seems like a lifetime ago, the work from home culture is still heavily practiced. With remote or hybrid working being a permanent practice of many organisations, it’s important to be mindful of the potential pitfalls the come with staying inside during the 9 – 5.

The simple process of a morning commute or walking between workstations and meeting rooms, has played a major role in combatting sedentary behaviours. By reducing this to just small movements around the house, we have seen a dramatic increase in musculoskeletal conditions. It is also worth pointing out that many people’s home setups are not ergonomically correct and are having a detrimental effect on their bodies.

If you are working from home either full time or part time, there are a few daily challenges you can do to help mitigate some of the risks.

Get Moving Early

The temptation when working from home to sleep in for as long as possible and then roll out of bed before that first meeting is very tempting. However, a bit of movement before work in the morning can go a long way towards avoiding pain and discomfort later in the day. It doesn’t have to be a full workout, a short walk or some simple stretches can get the blood flowing and loosen up muscles.

Create the Right Set Up

Desk ergonomics play a very important part of effectively working from home. As appealing as the sofa might be, it’s important that you have an appropriate desk set up at home. Ensure that your chair offers back support; your knees are parallel to your hips; your feet can rest flat on the floor; and your monitor is positioned at eye level.  A standing is always something worth investing in, moving between sitting and standing every hour is a great to stay mobile.

Take Regular Breaks

If possible, try to replicate the action of moving around your office, such as a quick 5-minute walk around your house every hour or so. There are plenty of short exercise routines you can do that activate the legs, glutes, back, shoulders and neck. You can check out our article on desk workouts here! Your lunch break is also a good chance to get up and move around for an extended period of time, 30 minutes of brisk walking a day can help to avoid weight gain, support healthy blood pressure, and reduce your risk of a stroke by 27%.

Whatever your set up at home, correct posture, regular breaks, and movement are all important aspects to maintaining your overall health and wellbeing as well as the prevention of back pain and health issues.

Think you could benefit from our Occupational Health services?

Get in touch now!