Home Office: 3 Tips to Prevent Muscle Cramps and Aches

Home Office: 3 Tips to Prevent Muscle Cramps and Aches

A whopping 90% of companies are planning to adopt either an entirely remote-work or hybrid model for workers in 2022. For some, this is a dream come true. The ability to get work done in your PJs, from the comfort of your kitchen, sounds great, right?

However, as many remote workers and employers have discovered, working from home isn’t always exactly what they might have imagined. The excessive time spent sitting (especially if sitting in an improperly setup home office) can cause complications like muscle cramps for remote workers. Furthermore, when a home office is not properly designed, remote workers will be at risk for many other preventable injuries.

A remote work model doesn’t mean the body has to suffer. Every company should be ensuring their remote workers are working in an ergonomically safe environment.

This blog contains tips from the ergonomic experts at Solutions Northwest Inc. to help guide you and your staff on how to work from home in comfort and prevent workplace injuries like muscle cramps and aches.

1. Maintain Proper Posture While Working

According to the ergonomics consultants at Solutions Northwest Inc., one of the most effective ways to prevent muscle cramping while working is to maintain proper posture.

Here are some tips to correct your posture while sitting:

·         Keep your back straight and shoulders back

·         Use a lumbar roll to help maintain normal curves in your back

·         Distribute your weight equally across your hips

·         Keep knees bent at a right angle

·         Keep both feet flat on the ground

A proper sitting posture won’t just help to alleviate your muscle cramps, but it will also provide added health benefits like increased energy levels and more. Maintaining proper posture while working can result in improved breathing, reduced back pain, and even optimal digestion.

Related Article: “4 Tips to Improve Your Posture at Work”

2. Move Around and Take Breaks

This one may seem obvious, but another great way to prevent muscle cramps while sitting for work is to take frequent breaks and move around. Although it seems simple, it’s hard to motivate yourself to go for even a quick walk if you’re overwhelmed with work. However, doing so can greatly improve your overall health and help with muscle cramping.

Taking breaks not only improves your health, but also boosts work productivity.

Related Article: “5 Reasons Work Breaks Boost Productivity”

3. Consider Proper Ergonomics when Sitting at your Desk

There’s a right and wrong way to sit at your desk. Here are some tips from the ergonomics experts at Solutions Northwest Inc. to optimize your workspace for ergonomic comfort:

·         Keep your monitor at eye level

·         Center the monitor in front of you, about 18 to 25

·         Ensure the monitor is away from windows (to reduce glare and eyestrain)

·         Sit with your back flush against your chair

·         Keep armrests at equal heights

·         Place your keyboard and mouse at forearm level

·         Keep your elbows relaxed

Related Article: “5 Reasons Work Breaks Boost Productivity”

Remote Workers Require Ergonomically Designed Home Offices

Investing in an ergonomics assessment to design a remote worker’s home office remains the best way to optimize a worker’s comfort. For this reason, every employer needs to ensure that their remote workers are provided the same ergonomic workstations that in-office workers receive.

An investment in an ergonomics assessment actually pays off, as worker’s will become happier and more efficient with less workplace injuries.

If you want to help your remote employees set up an ergonomic home workspace, contact the ergonomics experts at Solutions Northwest Inc. for more information. You may also want to consider an affordable virtual ergonomics assessment, which can be done remotely (all you need is access to e-mail or a smart phone).

Looking for More Tips on How to Create an Ergonomic Workspace? Contact us at SolutionsNW.com, we will be happy to help you!

At SolutionsNW.com we value the importance of a positive workplace culture. Part of a positive workplace is a safe workplace, Contact Us to schedule an ergonomics consultation or ergonomics assessment for your office today.

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