I’m uh…working from where now?
It’s a peculiar thing; the entire workplace dynamic has really been shaken up in the past few months. Millions of people around the world suddenly find themselves in a completely new work environment— their home.
Home is where the heart is, and working from home certainly does not come without benefit. In fact, a 2017 study suggests that adding 20 minutes more to your work commute each day is the equivalent of taking a 19% reduction in pay. So certainly one could infer that taking it away entirely — well, that sounds like it would be great. But on the other hand, working from home can have its fair share of cons as well. Your habits change and, all of a sudden, you find yourself, more often than not, sitting around more.
Okay, but what about back at the office?
There exists this certain stigma regarding desk jobs. This constant need to “maintain correct posture; an overwhelming focus on proper ergonomics. Over the years this has spawned many trendy office concepts. There’s the physioball in lieu of an office chair; the standing desk, which is slowly but surely becoming more pervasive. They’re great—don’t misunderstand. But we want to place a greater emphasis on keeping the body moving. It’s not necessarily that any one position is healthier than the other, but prolonged time in any posture can negatively affect the body.
Think about this way: is it realistic to spend eight hours or more holding yourself in what’s considered “correct posture”. Absolutely not. It’s much more reasonable to plan time to get up and move around. Take a lunch break, walk outside; sit down, relax if you’ve been on your feet all day. It’s okay to slouch. Because it’s not about the position you’re in, it’s about what you plan on doing next. Keeping your body moving is the answer.
As always, we at Gold Medal Physical Therapy sincerely hope the information in this blog helps you. If you find yourself in need of more assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to your doctor or a trusted medical professional.
