Working long hours at a desk, whether you use a computer all day or some other tool to get your work done, can wreak havoc on your wrists, knees, and other joints. Here are ten ways you can keep them in good health, and reduce the pain and discomfort your day-to-day may be putting you through.
Drinking more water has a ton of benefits , one of which being better joint health (not to mention better overall health.) You don’t have to drink a pre-prescribed amount or anything— just drink when you’re thirsty , or better yet, keep a nice big bottle of water near your desk and make a point to drain it every now and again.
Keeping yourself hydrated will keep your body happy (and seriously, you’ll feel better too,) but it’ll also keep you from reaching for hand-to-mouth snacks. Perhaps more importantly from an at-the-office perspective though, it’ll get you up and moving around on a regular basis as you go to refill that water bottle, and…well, as you go to the bathroom because you’ve been drinking so much water. Consider them small, short breaks where you get a chance to get up from your desk and move around a bit.
Speaking of taking every opportunity to get up and move around, doing so is another good way to stave off muscle and joint pain or soreness at work. Whether it’s giving your poor wrists a chance to rest and recover between long sessions of typing, or giving your knees a break and alleviating the pressure on them that comes with sitting for long periods (not to mention all the other ways sitting for hours on end is bad for you ,) getting up just to stretch, walk around the office, and maybe get some face time with your coworkers, is a great idea. Ideally you wouldn’t go more than 9o minutes without taking one.
Of course, once you’re sitting at work doing your thing, inertia makes it really difficult to break that focus and get up to stretch. That’s where technology comes in. Apps like previously mentioned Rest for Mac , Aware for Mac , or Workrave for Windows and Linux , can all remind you to take breaks periodically. Either way, make it as painless as possible so you actually do it, and your body will thank you. Bonus, taking more breaks will actually make you more productive , as well as healthier.
If you have the flexibility to, switch up where you work. If you have a work-issued laptop and an office with common areas or conference rooms—or even phone rooms you can escape into, grab one for a few hours at a time. Of course, not everyone has the privilege to have a desk they work at for a few hours, and then some comfy couches or a common area they can work at for the rest of the day (especially if people swing by your desk looking for you often), but if you do, take it.
Alternatively, consider switching desks with a colleague from time to time, or even hitting a nearby coffee shop , or better yet, a library , where you can settle in, focus, and there’s Wi-Fi and power aplenty. Wherever you roam, here are some tips to stay productive when you’re working from not the office.
In the same vein as working from different desks and locations whenever you can, consider working from home too, if you have space to do so. For many of us, working from a home office is more relaxing, more comfortable, and in most cases, just more space. Of course, just like above, your home office, a coffee shop, or a library may not offer better ergonomics, but being able to choose and change the position you work in can be a benefit in itself.
