Your at home workplace checklist!
Rec Center Physical Therapy • October 26, 2021
It is estimated that by the end of 2021, 25-30% of the workforce will be working from home. Our everyday workplace set up can lead to aches and pains if not set up properly. Consider this checklist as you evaluate your at home work station:
- Chair: It is worth the investment to have a chair that is cushioned and supportive. The more mobile your chair the better. Look for a chair on wheels that you can adjust the height, have the option to swivel side to side, and adjustable arms for a good fit at your desk. Consider a lumbar roll for your chair to help keep the natural curvature of your lower back supported. Your feet should be flat on the floor when sitting upright with about a 90 degree angle at your knees.
- Keyboard: Consider your keyboard. Your keyboard should be positioned so your forearms are able to be about at the horizontal line, you may need to adjust the height of your chair to obtain this. Position the keyboard so you are not having to reach or raise your shoulders. Position your mouse so that you don’t have to reach or lean.
- Computer height: Having your computer monitor at the appropriate height is essential for helping you maintain good posture throughout your work day. The top of your computer screen should be at or slightly below eye level. Additionally, your monitor should be placed at about arm’s length away from you. If you are using a laptop, consider using a stack of books or a box to elevate the monitor. If you are going this route with your laptop, use a wireless keyboard, so you aren’t reaching up to your laptop keyboard.
- Stand up workstation: Consider a stand up desk or finding a place where you can work standing up in your home to mix things up. Ease into it by starting with 30-60 minutes and gradually increasing your time at your stand up workstation. Research has shown that sit to stand desks can increase productivity by 10-20% and improve energy levels and concentration.
- Move your body!:
Research has linked sedentary jobs with a number of health related concerns like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Staying in one position for too long can contribute to poor circulation in our muscles and joints, muscle imbalances, and decreased flexibility. Make a point to move your body at least once every hour, even just for 30 seconds. Besides standing up and walking around, try rolling your shoulders, turning your head from side to side and stretching your forearms.
Once you’ve evaluated your work place set up, now do the extra work and practice good posture throughout the day. When you are sitting at your chair, maintain an upright posture with your shoulders pulled back. Maintain a good neck posture by keeping your ears aligned over your shoulders. If you are standing at a stand up desk, consider wearing supportive shoes, stand with your legs straight, but knees unlocked, and practice the same good posture tips above.
Our therapists at Rec Center Physical Therapy have the knowledge and expertise to help analyze your at home workplace setup and help you troubleshoot factors that may be contributing to your musculoskeletal problems or impairments. In addition, physical therapy can help you with stretches and strengthening exercises to help you get back on track.
Sarah is a 2005 graduate of Kirkwood’s Physical Therapist Assistant program and a recent graduate of Pima Medical Institute’s Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy Assistant program. Sarah is returning to the field of physical therapy after a season of being at home with her kids and is excited to be back caring for patients. In her free time Sarah enjoys taking care of her family, reading, playing and coaching volleyball and basketball, and spending time with her pets.
Keeping up with physical therapy during the holidays is tough. There are so many other things to do - cooking, parties, shopping, travel, and visiting with family and friends. But if you're in physical therapy over the holidays, there's a reason. You're having pain, or not moving as well as you want to. These issues place limitations on your life, which are going to affect your ability to do things - like cooking, partying, shopping, traveling, or enjoying time with friends and family. So even though keeping up with your PT this time of year is tough, it's important. That's why we're going to give you our best tips to help you through the holidays. Plan Some of what makes the holidays challenging is the crazy schedule. To survive this, you're going to have to plan ahead. We're not just talking about appointments on your calendar, either (although those are important). Here are some things to think about planning ahead: Your PT appointments Your schedule is busy during the holidays. So is your PT's. Plan and schedule your appointments in advance. You'll get the times and days that work best for you, and you'll already have your PT appointments in your calendar to plan other things around. Your exercise Hopefully you have a regular time to exercise. With the holiday mania about to shake up your routine, that time may no longer work. Think about when you're going to exercise ahead of time and you'll stay consistent. Your diet Healthy eating often gets derailed during the holidays. Putting low quality fuel into your body won't help you feel better. Think about planning what you're going to eat ahead of time. We're not saying to skip every holiday treat offered to you, but maybe think about which ones you really need to have, and which ones you can skip in advance. It makes saying "no thanks" to that third slice of fruitcake easier. Modify We're realistic. We understand that life isn't the same during the holidays as it is during the rest of the year. That's part of what makes this time of year special! With that in mind, our next set of tips focuses on making modifications to help you get through the holidays successfully. Your PT Plan When you planned your PT appointments out well in advance, you might have run into some challenges. Talk to your therapist about how you might be able to modify your plan of care through the holidays to make it all work. Maybe you're going to PT three times a week and you can only come twice a week for a week or two. Plan this sort of thing in advance with your PT and you can work together to come up with the best plan. Your exercise Exercise is so important, it made our list twice. Now that you know when you'll exercise, you might have to modify your routine to make it fit. Again, we recommend talking with your PT to see what you can do. Maybe your home exercise program can be modified so you can do everything in the kitchen during downtime when you're cooking up your holiday feast. Maybe you can reduce the number of exercises to focus on maintaining the gains you've made until things settle down. Your schedule In your planning in advance (see how important it is?) you might have found that your normal routine wasn't going to work. If your PT appointments or exercise time is usually right after work and you've now got commitments during that time, maybe you can move them to the morning before work. If you've been exercising outside, the shortened days may move you into the gym. Be flexible and consider temporarily modifying your schedule and your routine to make it work better during the holiday season. You can always go back to your previous routine after. The holidays are a special time of year. Keeping up with your health and your physical therapy can be challenging during this time. But you don't have to fall behind. With some planning and flexibility, you can stay healthy, survive the holidays and head into next year with good momentum!
With winter right around the corner, now is a great time to start thinking about what winter sport is right for me. A number of you have been enjoying the sport of hockey or are possibly curious about the best sport EVER. Hockey is played indoors on NHL or Olympic sized sheets of ice in arenas, or out on the small ponds or flooded areas in your local parks that the city has provided. More and more people are enjoying this dynamic sport. Hockey provides a great total body workout that will challenge your balance, muscles, and general cardiovascular system. Let's look at some of the many benefits.