One of the main enemies we have to deal with in our daily lives is the dreaded back pain. The (somewhat) sedentary pace of life that we lead, together with long working hours sitting in front of a computer, have turned back pain, and all the conditions that derive from poor posture, into a problem that affects the majority of the population, specifically 85% of it.
It is true that we are aware of the correct posture to take when we sit in front of our computer table, but our body seeks comfort, not rigidity, and that in the long run pays dearly. Although there are also ergonomic chairs and computer desks on the market that adapt to our ideal posture.
To avoid falling into back problems that can accompany you throughout your life and affect your daily life, you have to combine two factors: get used to having a good posture and prevent a lumbar condition, or any kind, through a series of guidelines that we will tell you later. Don’t miss it!
A bad posture at work ends up taking its toll in the long run. (iStock)
How to prevent back pain at work
- Choosing the perfect chair: it is more important than it seems when it comes to avoiding back problems during the workday. The perfect chair must adapt to all our needs (and dimensions). It has to be able to be adjusted, both height and backrest, so that it adapts to our lower back and does not remain in the air
- The knees, largely forgotten: the key to adapting to your desk is to have your legs apart (no cross-legged), resting on the floor and that the knees form a right angle with the hips.
- The chest: even if you think it has no influence, the chest must be kept straight, it is not necessary to look like a peacock, but it is necessary to keep it firm with the back glued to the backrest. It often happens that, when working in front of a computer, we tend to advance our posture by resting our elbows on the table and throwing our chests forward. Failed!
- Straight neck and head: one of the worst back pains is cervical pain, therefore it is very important to keep the neck and head straight. In order not to have to give up our comfort, try placing the computer screen at eye level, to avoid bending over all the time. One trick is to place the computer tower below the screen.
Neck pain can be avoided if we keep our neck and head straight. (iStock)
- Back to the backrest: rhymes aside, you have to keep your back against the back of your chair if you want to keep your spine straight and avoid problems as common (and painful) as low back pain.
- Distance from the computer screen: remember to always keep a distance of 45 cm between the computer and our face.
- Typing: Not many people know this, but raising your shoulders while typing is very bad for your back. The ideal is to keep them flexed on the table and relax the shoulders so as not to load all our work there.