Name a more common complaint in the office workspace than back pain, lower back pain. Neck pain. Hip pain. Oh, to imagine a life of endless sitting, a monotonous work routine, bad chairs, and worsening posture.
Oh wait, that’s my life!
No matter how far your back has gone (excuse the pun), no matter how frequent the pains are or how much strain you feel from sitting all day, the downsides of sitting at a desk all day—back pain, neck pain, hip pain, poor posture, and a general increase in health risks—are persistent. The negative effects of poor posture, bad sitting habits, and bad chairs have gotten workplaces to rethink the status quo. We need solutions that are convenient and healthy—starting with ergonomic office chairs, ergonomic office desks, and other ergonomic furniture that will increase the quality of our lives.
As offices have become synonymous with sedentary activities, scientists have become alarmed by the continuing rise in health concerns such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. A sedentary work environment is a slow killer of productivity and employee satisfaction, according to experts. This is one reason behind the expression “Sitting is known as the new smoking,” which—while not exactly accurate—is poignant enough that you have to acknowledge the truth in it. The health risks of sitting at a desk all day have more importance than ever. We know more about our bodies today than we ever have.
It's about time we started acting like it.
With an understanding of these downsides of sitting behind poor-quality office desks and office chairs, workplaces and companies are finally doing something about it—they’re beginning the trend of providing employees with healthier work environments, starting with the introduction of standing desks, smart desks, L-shaped desks, ergonomic office chairs, and other ergonomic accessories and tools into the workplace. Some ergonomic chairs are superior to others, so be on the lookout for ergonomic office chairs of lesser quality—that goes for the best ergonomic desks, too. With this modern understanding of the sedentary lifestyle work environment being put into practice, the fight amps as we rise to meet the challenge.
Arm yourself with some facts so you can take back control of your body and eliminate pain in your back—as well as related pain in your neck, shoulders, hips, and knees. Ergonomic solutions are more attainable than you might think!
According to research, a person who sits for long periods of time is nearly ten times more likely to die before old age than a person who sits less often and is physically active. If you sit for more than six hours a day, you may be at a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes (due to poor circulation), regardless of whether you work out every day. So, even if you’re maintaining a baseline of daily exercise, your sedentary habits at work may be impeding progress. Something to keep in mind!
To break free from a sedentary lifestyle, to leave behind longtime bad posture habits, to prevent further damage to your body (especially your back), your first solution is to make your office workspace an ergonomic workspace. Get a desk that adjust height, so that you don’t have to sit all day. Get an ergonomic chair that allows you to personalize the depth, shift the armrests, etc. Get a foam roller to iron out the wrinkles, why don’t you.
Rather than sitting all day, opt for a standing desk and an ergonomic chair that allow you to work while either standing or sitting. If you don’t want to invest in anything, that’s cool, too—just be sure to move around more. Make your day-to-day more livelier, more versatile! Combine this with a healthy, active lifestyle outside of work and bad sedentary behavior will become yesterday’s news.
