If you have a job that allows you to spend most of your time sitting at a computer desk, there have probably been times when you’ve been thankful that you don’t have to put too much stress on your body. However, those with desk jobs shouldn’t totally forget about their physical well-being. Many of us can sit at a desk for hours with ease, but that doesn’t mean your desk job isn’t taking its toll on your body. Here are some of the ways working a desk job can affect you physically.
It Encourages Poor Posture
Posture is something many of us struggle with, but our lives often give us no choice but to have bad posture. This is especially true for those who spend their days at a desk. For most of us who work at a computer, you often have to slouch forward to get your work done. Our desks, computers, and desk chairs could be giving us no choice but to sacrifice our posture. The positioning of your arms could also impact your shoulders and ruin your posture. By doing this every day without fixing it, you could end up being sore frequently and it could eventually cause arthritis. Bad posture can lead to other issues like digestive and cardiovascular problems.
Increased Risk Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Anyone who spends hours a day at a desk has likely heard about the dangers of carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel can occur when pressure is placed on the median nerves, which are on the palm side of your wrist. Many activities and jobs can lead to carpal tunnel, but desk jobs often create the perfect environment for it to develop, as your wrist is often placed on a desk while typing. This can be extremely painful and if it isn’t treated, it can lead to permanent nerve and muscle damage. Having very minor carpal tunnel might be something you can treat on your own, but you could end up needing to see a professional for help.
Blue Light Can Hurt Your Eyes
After working a desk job long enough, you’ve likely noticed a difference in your eyesight. You spend hours every day concentrating on a screen and you might even continue this when you go home. This is bad enough for your eyesight, but the blue light in all of our screens only makes this worse. Exposure to blue light can do more damage to your eyes than other types of light and those with desk jobs can be more at risk of this. If your eyesight has gotten worse, or if you get eye strain and headaches often, this could be why.
It Can Cause Weight Gain
When you first started your job, you probably didn’t think of all the unhealthy habits you’d pick up there. The daily routines of many office workers can cause them to gain weight over time for a number of different reasons. One of the main reasons you might gain weight with a desk job is that you spend most of your day sitting. Other jobs enable you to be up and moving for most of your day, but desk jobs are extremely sedentary. When you’re at your desk all day, you have fewer opportunities to burn calories from moving around. Of course, sitting at a desk for eight hours a day can make it tempting to spend most of your time eating snacks, which can also lead to weight gain.
Prioritize Your Wellbeing
If you’ve been starting to feel the physical effects of working at a desk, it’s time that you do something about it. Even if you haven’t noticed any of the negatives yet, it’s best to get help before it happens. There’s plenty that you can do to protect yourself from the issues desk jobs can cause, like taking frequent breaks and getting blue light filtering glasses. This can make a huge difference, but you might need professional help from a physical therapist to help alleviate all the major pains of a desk job. To learn the best ways to fend off the physical impact of working at a desk, contact us to schedule a physical therapy appointment.
