The onset and spread of COVID-19, the disease that results from infection with the novel coronavirus, has truly upset life as we know it in the United States. Millions of workers across the country who have the capability are working from home. This is a sudden change in their daily schedules, and even though they are safer from COVID-19 at home, this new lifestyle presents another risk: that of sitting on a couch for many consecutive hours a day.
If you have been working from home, you may find you are comfortable where you are, either on your couch or slouched down in a chair. Compare this to the office, where you likely find yourself getting up and moving around more often, perhaps taking walking breaks with coworkers.
The fact is that sitting all day at home is quite bad for you, and you may find you start developing pain or soreness in certain areas of your body after a while. In that case, we at Cawley Physical Therapy want to hear from you when this pandemic ends and you can continue getting physical therapy in Luzerne County again.
For now, allow us to provide you with a few tips for keeping your body healthy while working remotely during COVID-19.
Move throughout the Day
Our first tip is simply not to sit in one position all day. You may feel that you need to stay at your working station to complete everything you have to do, but this is majorly detrimental to your health. Not only can it lead to weight gain, but it can also strain the muscles in your back, hips, neck, and legs. Muscles are meant to be stretched and stay fluid. Sitting in one place for hours at a time tenses them up, contracts them, and doesn’t let them go. Therefore, if nothing else, make time during your workdays at least to stand up, stretch, and walk around.
Schedule Exercises
We just mentioned the importance of not sitting in one spot for eight-hour periods while you are working from home. Now, let’s take it one step further and actually plan out some daily exercises during your workday. After all, you need to stretch those muscles to keep them limber.
For example, you may want to add in some yoga on a lunch hour. There are all kinds of stretches and poses to do, and they are all good for one part of your body or another. Or, for another decent challenge, try doing some squats. These are great for those leg muscles that you have been keeping tense all day at your desk. Meanwhile, push-ups are useful for strengthening your upper body, while jumping jacks give your entire body a good workout. Maybe the best aspect of these exercises is that they can all be done without equipment from the comfort of your home. Your muscles will all thank you for adding some of these exercises to your working week.
Maintain Good Sitting Posture
Our final tip here is an important one for physical therapists: try to maintain a healthy posture while you are sitting at your home workstation. You may not have even noticed this, but some people who work from home tend to seek out the most comfortable spot they can find and simply stay there. The trouble is that the spot you have chosen may not be the best for you ergonomically. It is tempting, isn’t it, to lean on your elbow or lie down on the couch with your computer? However, you should choose healthy positions for your body over simply being in a comfortable spot.
Try to sit in a chair with your hips toward the back of the seat and your feet flat on the floor. Also, be sure that the back of the chair supports all parts of your back; if part of your back is slouching, you may be sore later. Keeping your slouched posture over time could lead to health problems such as nerve and muscle problems and poor blood circulation.
Dependable Physical Therapy in Luzerne County
At Cawley Physical Therapy, we understand the challenges that COVID-19 has presented all of us. Maybe you dislike working from home because you know you tend to be less active than at the office. But that is why we created this guide: to help you keep your muscles and overall body healthy while you are working remotely.
Should you develop any health conditions while you work from home, and you feel physical therapy in Luzerne County is the best solution for it, be sure to make an appointment with us for when this pandemic is over. We can provide your body with whatever it needs to feel better, from the best exercises for a herniated disc to the right kind of stretches to eliminate neck pain.
Schedule your appointment with Cawley Physical Therapy after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. We will be here for you when you need us. And remember: keep moving!
