Exercises To Keep You Mobile When Working From Home During Covid-19
Many workplaces have recently made the transition to remote working due to COVID-19, which means a lot more people have had to create a workspace in their home.
Not only is it important to make sure that you have the correct set up for posture and minimal straining, it’s also important to take breaks to keep yourself moving.
At Graceville Physio, our team of experienced physiotherapists have put together some easy exercises that you can do at home, to keep your muscles limber and ensure you don’t inadvertently injure yourself.
The basics:
Before you consider beginning any exercises, make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Make sure you’re getting up regularly to walk away from your computer (even if it’s just to the front door and back). Not only is this good for your body, preventing soreness and stiffness from sitting one way for too long, but it will also offer an opportunity to clear your mind so that you come back to your work refreshed.
We recommend taking a small break every 30 minutes or so to make sure you’re keeping yourself both physically and mentally active and refreshed.
Exercises for your back.
Your back is one of the main areas that will experience stiffness and soreness if you’re not taking care of it while you work from home. Not only that, but back pain can often lead to other kinds of pain in your neck, shoulders and hips – so it’s important to be looking after this core part of your body.
Firstly, minimise any back pain you might be experiencing with these exercises for your upper back. They will also help improve your mobility, so do them either first thing in the morning or at the end of your work day for maximum effectiveness.
Another one to try is this simple back stretch. This one targets your lower back and will help to stretch your muscles and prevent you from getting stiff.
Exercises for your neck.
While your work from home setup should be ergonomically sound, it can still be hard on your neck and eyes to be working in a new place with your computer in a new position. A couple of factors can contribute to soreness of the neck and eyes, including monitor position and brightness (of both the monitor and the room in general).
This exercise will help you strengthen your neck muscles and get your eyes moving through different ranges. It’s beneficial to try and incorporate this exercise into your routine hourly, to help reduce strain and tension in your neck and eyes, which can in turn help reduce headaches.
The most important thing while you’re working from home during COVID-19 is to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, which is why taking those breaks is so important.
At Graceville Physio, our philosophy is to help you live pain free, so we’ll continue to support you during this time. We’re open as usual for telehealth consultations or in-person appointments, following all social distancing and cleanliness guidelines, so contact us today.
Related Tag: Neck Pain Treatment Graceville