Since the start of the health crisis, teleworking has become the rule in a majority of companies. While this operating method has several advantages, in particular because it limits our movements and saves us time, it also has its downsides. It actually promotes a sedentary lifestyle and can also be the cause of pain. And for good reason: at home, the workstation is often not as suitable and comfortable as at the office. There are nevertheless good reflexes to adopt to avoid back pain and other pains.
Create a comfortable workspace
Working from home is not always easy. A reality that some were able to verify during the first confinement: schools having closed their doors, many parents were forced to work from home while taking care of their children. Difficult to concentrate in this particular context!
This phenomenon can have an impact on comfort and therefore on posture, which is why it is advisable, if possible, to create a space dedicated to work. The ideal? Choose a separate room or at least have a workspace "with a table and a comfortable chair, taking care to avoid exterior noise as much as possible so as not to disturb your concentration", recommends the Ostéopathes de France association.
Have a suitable workstation
At home, not everyone is lucky enough to have a suitable workstation. However, two elements are essential to avoid back pain: having a good seat and raising your computer.
Do you tend to work on your sofa? Fault ! It is important to have a seat that offers lumbar support through the backrest. To choose it, the National Research and Safety Institute (INRS) recommends opting for an armchair with an adjustable back, seat and armrests. It should ideally be fitted with five casters for better stability and have firm padding providing good support. The depth of the seat must also allow "to support the lower back without the front edge exerting pressure behind the knees".
What about the computer screen? The Ostéopathes de France association explains that it must be "placed in front, and especially not on the side because this tires more and brings a dysmetry at the level of the shoulders and the neck which can cause, in time, a tetanization or contracture of the muscles and therefore pain".
Adopt good posture
We know that sitting in front of your computer all day is tiring. It is therefore essential to position yourself correctly to avoid pain. To do this, the Ostéopathes de France association recommends keeping your back straight and more particularly "avoid rounding the shoulders and tilting the head forward, avoiding rounding the upper and lower back and keeping the shoulders relaxed and back ".
Adopting good posture isn't just about your back. It is also important to position your arms and legs correctly. It is thus advisable to "put your elbows in a 90-100 degree angle (never less), rest on a hard surface and your hands are free", indicates the Ostéopathes de France association. She also recommends "relax the legs and bend them about 90-100 degrees with the feet on the ground", but also of "position the knees at hip height, the hips not bent too much in relation to the trunk (90-100 degrees)".
Take regular breaks
The expansion of teleworking linked to the health crisis has considerably changed our lifestyles. If the fact of working at home saves us the sometimes restrictive trips to get to the office, it also reinforces a sedentary lifestyle. In order to be in good physical as well as psychological health, it is essential to be active, even when working. The Ostéopathes de France association therefore advises "take a break to walk, relax or stretch for 10-20 minutes every two hours".
But that's not all: more physical activity is also essential outside of work time. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults do 150 minutes of moderate intensity endurance activity or at least 75 minutes of sustained intensity endurance activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate and sustained activity.
Les Ostéopathes de France adds that the notion of pleasure is essential. It is therefore appropriate for everyone to choose the physical activity that they like the most. "Whether it's gym, walk, yoga or even targeted stretching of the posterior chain (calf, hamstring, back) and relaxation, these movements will activate the muscles and soften them, thus avoiding the pain associated with prolonged sitting posture ", specifies the association.
Read also :
⋙ Work behind a desk: 5 effective yoga poses to relieve the back
⋙ Stretching, muscle strengthening: the program to take care of your back at home
⋙ Telecommuting: 6 minutes flat to relax at home