As people across the nation continue working in their makeshift offices at home, a physiotherapist has revealed there is no such thing as ‘good posture and bad posture.’
Claire Small, a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist at Pure Sports Medicine at Canary Wharf, London, claimed people’s setups should be based solely on individual preferences – which could mean working from the sofa or bed if that is most comfortable for you.
Speaking to FEMAIL, the expert highlighted the importance of finding a reason to get up and move – including setting intermittent alarms, reaching for a pen or standing up to make a phone call.
She added that making a simple adjustment to the height of a laptop screen could also be the key to avoiding aches and pains while working from home amid the lockdown.
Claire Small, a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist at Pure Sports Medicine explained how sitting for prolonged periods of time is similar to clenching your fist while walking, with both causing stress and strains on muscles and joints (file image)
SETTING UP A COMFORTABLE WORKSPACE
While sitting at the kitchen table or working from the sofa may be the ideal set-up for some, others may class the idea as hell – so Claire advises setting up a workspace where you feel comfortable and will be most productive.
‘The most important things in setting up your home workspace are comfort and variability.
‘Research has shown there is a weak link between “poor posture” and pain. So – there is no such thing as “ideal sitting posture” or a “correct work set up”.
‘Your setup should be based on your preferences, do what makes you most comfortable and most productive.’
Claire went on to say that working from a sofa or bed is not detrimental to one’s health or posture, but only if it is balanced with movement.
‘Sometimes sitting on the sofa or lying on the bed may provide a good break from sitting if you are reading something,’ she added. ‘I wouldn’t advocate someone does this all day, but variety is good.
Claire Small (pictured) is a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist at Pure Sports Medicine, Canary Wharf, London
THE BEST WAY TO SIT WHILE WORKING
The expert says you do not need an expensive or specific chair to avoid unwanted aches and pains.
‘Find a chair that you feel comfortable sitting in and don’t worry about having to sit upright all the time or sitting on the edge of the chair to maintain the arch in your back,’ she said.
‘It’s completely okay to slouch in the seat for a period, as long as you are comfortable.’
She added: ‘Equally, if you feel more comfortable sitting back in the seat with your back supported, that is fine as well (but it’s not essential!)
‘The worst thing you can do is think that you need to maintain a certain position or only move within the confines of certain space.’
MOVEMENT IS KEY
Despite contrary belief, the expert went on to say there is no right or wrong when it comes to posture – but warns that sitting in one position for a prolonged period of time can cause strains and pressure on muscles.
‘A lack of movement means we don’t put our joints through their full range of motion,’ she explained. ‘So when we become less flexible in areas, we start to put strain and pressure on the same regions of our body and we reduce the blood flow to our tissues.’
‘All of this can lead to pain. If we lose flexibility in some areas, we often end up straining other regions of our body when we move. Movement is the best medicine.’
She continued: ‘It’s a bit like walking around with your fist clenched or your jaw clenched for a prolonged period.
‘Find reasons to get up and move – make a coffee, reach for a pen, stand up to make a phone call – or just set an alarm to stand up, bend sideways, roll your shoulders around and twist to either side before sitting down again.’
SEPARATE WORK HOURS FROM LEISURE TIME
Claire advises separating office hours from family time to avoid continuously working and feeling guilty for having breaks.
‘Start work at a specific time, stop for lunch and finish at the end of the day as you would normally,’ she said.
‘Avoid stopping work in the middle of the day to read a book or watch TV (other than at lunch time) or you may find yourself feeling guilty and continuing to work into the evening when you should have shut the laptop and your emails down.’
Claire added: ‘Don’t be tempted to do more because you are not spending significant periods commuting.’
‘This period of lockdown and social isolation is going to be a marathon not a sprint and it is important not to burn out by overworking in the first few weeks.’
Claire warns that if we lose flexibility in some areas, we often end up straining other regions of our body when we move. Pictured, stock image
IS STANDING OR SITTING BEST?
While offices have the benefit of ergonomic standing desks, Claire suggests a way in which these can be replicated at home.
‘Working standing up is fine as long as you don’t spend the whole day doing it in the same way you should avoid sitting all day,’ she said.
‘If you are going to work standing up you need to adjust the height of your desk and laptop so you can reach everything comfortably.’
She continued: ‘Realistically, this is probably difficult without a standing desk. Instead think about taking phone calls while standing or, if you can, go for a walk around the flat or the garden while you take a call.
‘One of the advantages of working from home is that we can move in lots of different ways.
‘It’s much easier to lie on the floor and do a few stretches in the privacy of your own bedroom or home office or sit crossed legged on the floor or sofa while you answer a few emails than it is in an office.’