How to Prevent Back Pain while Working from Home

Fidget more. Limit the amount of sitting that you spend at one time. Since you’re at home, you can sit in different positions and in different locations. Get out of a sitting position every hour, and ideally, walk. If you aren’t able to walk, then try to shift your position at least once every twenty minutes. Frequent position changes can help to avoid LBP. Don’t get stuck sitting for hours in the same position (particularly, if it’s uncomfortable or if you’re sitting with poor posture or with poor ergonomics). If you’re standing, then stand in different positions. Put your foot up on a stool, and then switch feet. Stand on different surfaces when possible (hardwood, carpet or softer padding like a standing mat). Variety is the key to avoiding low back pain. Sit with good posture. If you’re going to sit for any period of time (regardless of the position), maintain your posture. Whenever possible, make sure that your knees stay below your hip level and that you are able to maintain your natural lumbar curve. Even if you don’t have an office chair at home, lean back in the chair (don’t slouch in your lower back). A great tool to help you with this is a lumbar roll. Ergonomics are important, so find ways to support your back while keeping your shoulders and neck in a relaxed position. Stop looking down. Try to keep your devices at eye level, or slightly down. Don’t position them so that you have to look up at them. Limit the amount of time spent looking down, whether that is from texting or reading a paper or even writing. If you tend to spend 30-40 minutes at a time looking down at your device, work toward reducing that time in half. Stand more. A standing desk can be a wonderful luxury. At home, you can get creative and use a higher counter top for a make shift standing desk. Use boxes or books to improve the ergonomic positioning. The set-up should allow you to look straight ahead when you work on your computer while in a position that your arms can hang down naturally with the forearms supported. No one can see your set-up. Even if it’s not esthetically pleasing, it’s best to keep your body feeling good. Take a break to exercise. Take advantage of being home and take a 15-minute stretching or yoga break. How about 10 minutes to roll out and utilize the foam roller or maybe a few core exercises like planks? Have some fun with it. My favorite 10 minute work-from-home exercise break includes: 25 air squats, 25 push-ups, 5 minutes of stretching on the foam roller, and then a few press-ups. I highly recommend press-ups. Lie on your stomach and perform 10 to 20 press-ups. Go slow and easy, but work your way up to full motion. Perform these multiple times a day. This is easier to do when working from home and from an office environment. By doing this, you can prevent back pain by working from home.