How to improve your posture during work

Synopsis
Prolonged sitting can lead to a whole host of health issues -- from lower back pain and neck and shoulder complaints to joint compression, soft tissue injuries, muscular imbalances and reduced blood circulation.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced most of us to work from home for a large part of the last two years. While there have been pros to it, it has also brought along its fair share of challenges. One of the biggest has been the lack of adequate office infrastructure in our homes.

Our homes were naturally not kitted out to double up as offices. While some of us have been able to invest in ergonomic office furniture, many of us have simply lacked the space to create a home office set-up. As a result, we worked sitting on floors, from our couches or even sprawled out on our beds.

This, combined with the sedentary lifestyles the pandemic forced upon us, has taken a toll on our health. Just as we became well-versed with the ins and outs of epidemiology, so too did awareness about musculoskeletal diseases (MSD), incorrect postures, backaches and stiff necks increase.

In fact, conversations about healthy ergonomics have very much entered the post-Covid-19 medical mainstream. Just as offices are taking special care to sanitise workplaces and ensure social distancing as they prepare to reopen, so too must they invest in creating an active, ergonomic workspace.