Technological advancements have revolutionised the way we work, but our health is suffering in insidious new ways.
Poor posture when using business computers and devices is one of the biggest causes of neck and back pain. Coupled with a sedentary 9-to-5 life and a desk-bound culture, it is no exaggeration to say that employees today face a much higher risk of an early death!
Here’s how your job could be ruining your health:
Sedentary Death Syndrome (SeDS)
The risk of Sedentary Death Syndrome (SeDS) has never been higher, with 75% of a typical workday spent seated. The term SeDS was founded by medical researchers to wake us up to the fact that excessive sitting is a way to slowly kill yourself!
Pat yourself on the back if you read this article standing up and if you didn’t, get up!
Researchers have found a direct relationship between the time spent sitting and your risk of early mortality of any cause. In particular, every extra hour spent sitting increases your risk of dying by heart disease as much as 18%. This is true even if you exercise regularly.
“If you’re sitting too much, you need to do something about it – like right now. Unless you get moving now, you’re in trouble later.”
– James A. Levine, an obesity expert at the Mayo Clinic who studies the health effects of sitting.
Email Apnea
Have you ever noticed a moment of breathlessness as you wait for your email inbox to refresh or your device to connect to the internet?
Intense concentration in the office can lead to cumulative breath holding which leads to stress-related diseases.
Your body becomes acidic with the kidneys beginning to re-absorb sodium. Your balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitric oxide also becomes compromised. Simply put, your biochemistry is thrown off.
If you find yourself anxiously waiting for something to load, don’t forget to take a few deep breaths.
Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs)
According to a government survey, Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs) were identified as the leading problem, accounting for 41% of all work-related health problems reported.
Stiff necks from bad posture at work, strained backs from lifting boxes and numb wrists from too much typing. Do these sound familiar to you?
How PhysioActive Can Help
As many of us spend a significant amount of time on our computers at work, good ergonomics at the workplace is critical. By learning the proper way to handle and use office equipment, you will be able to prevent undesirable health problems.
At PhysioActive, we have a team of Occupational Health Physiotherapists who can make your environment a safe place to work in.
We frequently host Ergonomics workshops for companies to equip their employees with the knowledge to participate in their own protection again WSMDs. Being able to perform a preliminary evaluation of your own workstation and make adjustments independently is an invaluable skill.
Our specialists also conduct comprehensive workstation assessments to identify potential problem areas and recommend suitable adjustments. These in-depth assessments take into consideration advanced ergonomic principles to make your workstation layout more comfortable for you.
Discover a world of difference to the way you feel, both physically and mentally by adopting good posture and ensuring that your eyes, neck, back and legs are positioned correctly. There is a role you can play to keep your job without working yourself to death!
Contact us now to find out what your options are.
This post has been written by Goh Yun Jie.
