3 Easy Ways to Set Up A Pain Free Work Station at Home

Working from home has become the new norm for so many people, and your home set-up can make all the difference in whether or not you enjoy your work from home experience. In the office you may have access to a more comfortable chair, desks that are able to adjust to your height, and monitor screens that move up and down to accommodate standing or sitting. But what if you don’t have access to those from home? We have some tricks to prevent pain and ensure you are able to work all day long without interruptions.

1. Look at your computer first. Are you using a laptop with a small screen? Is your monitor too low/high? Where is your keyboard? By placing your monitor on a box, book, or monitor stand you can bring it up to eye level and reduce neck and eye strain. If you are using a laptop, consider using a bluetooth keyboard in addition to a box/stand so your shoulders stay relaxed and your elbows rest by your sides at slightly more than a 90 degree angle.

2. Body position is critical to ensuring you don’t experience pain during your work day. Is your desk too high or too low? Is your chair adjustable or is it “one size fits all”? If you can adjust your desk or chair height, you want to ensure both are set such that you can sit with your feet flat on the floor and your knees at or below your hips. You should also be able to rest your arms comfortably by your sides while typing/using your computer. If your desk cannot be adjusted and is too tall, use pads/cushions to elevate your seat so you can reach the desk; using a box or foot rest will ensure your feet are positioned comfortably. If your desk/chair is too low, consider elevating everything so you can stand instead of sitting and slouching uncomfortably all day.

3. Get up and move! Just like you would get up during the day to go talk to coworkers, make copies, or go to the bathroom, you should be getting up at least once every hour to stretch and get your blood flowing. Make a point to do some chair yoga, go for a 10 minute walk, or do some squats whenever you get a snack or go on a formal break. Think of your lunch break as your movement break!

If you’re working from home and you find yourself experiencing neck pain, back pain, or are just feeling more tight overall, try these out and see if they help!

As always, we hope this helps you and if you need anything from me, or the team at Sports Performance, email us at TeamSP@SportsPerformancePT.com….or text us! You can reach us at (619) 724 – 4427.

-Dr. Katie