With countless businesses implementing work from home arrangements, more and more people discover new elements to this setup. On the one hand, working remotely eliminates several stress factors, namely the need for reliable transportation and pressure at the office.
But on the other hand, working remotely presents some critical health concerns as well. While mental health is the predominant subject of these talks, your physical health may also need consideration. Ultimately, the relaxing atmosphere at home can sometimes lead you to overlook your spinal health.
So, whether you’re new to working remotely or have years of experience with it, here are some of the best ways to guard and promote spinal health:
1. Schedule A Checkup
One of the best ways to begin your health journey is by knowing the current condition of your spine. Hence, scheduling a checkup can give you helpful insight into your health level. As a valuable piece of wisdom states, prevention is better than cure. Checkups are a helpful way of spotting signs of problems while they’re still manageable. Additionally, they also allow for the precious time to openly discuss and ask questions about what you may have about your body.
Lastly, these medical professionals can also share some of the best steps to take when maintaining proper posture. They can be reliable sources of information, whether that means learning specific exercises, dietary changes, or other action plans to incorporate into your work setup.
Whenever your health needs focus, there’s no one better to ask than the experts. A quick talk with your chiropractor often leads to years’ worth of security for your back.
2. Ensure Your Chair Has Lower Back Support
One advantage the office setting has, which you may not have noticed before, is the comfort and support the chairs there provide. It’s interesting to note that office furniture usually lands lower on lists of things that cause stress at the office. While your home does give a more relaxing atmosphere to work in, it’s easy to overlook the more technical aspects of your job.
Fortunately, remedying this issue can mean a quick and easy trip to your local or online furniture store. Buying a chair with excellent back support can be one of the best investments remote workers can make. Aside from promoting proper posture and alignment, a good chair’s comfort is simply unbeatable. You may find your mood and performance improve by sitting in a chair built with focus and comfort in mind.
Should your budget be an immediate concern, you can take simple steps to act as temporary fixes while saving up for a proper chair. For example, you can consider a soft and small pillow in the meantime. Placing it between the back of the chair and the base of your spine serves to align your vertebrae. Ultimately, this can be an excellent method of ensuring lumbar support in the meantime.
3. Practice Stretching Throughout Your Shift
When considering a healthy lifestyle, keeping limber to combat the effects of a sedentary lifestyle is essential. Likewise, you can also enjoy its benefits by practicing it throughout your shifts. Furthermore, you now have the privacy to practice it with more enthusiasm.
Stretching offers more than keeping you mindful of your posture. It’s also known to benefit the mind, body, and soul. For example, stretching can increase the flow of blood throughout your body. Doing so promotes the better distribution of oxygen to your various organs. Ultimately, better circulation means better organ performance while also helping to flush harmful toxins out.
Next, it also allows you to collect and settle your thoughts. Concentrating on proper form and breathing share the same principles with the practice of meditation. As such, you’ll enable yourself to enter the right mindset to reflect on decisions and emotions.
Lastly, taking the time for a quick stretch gives you time. This can be crucial during challenging shifts or before making big decisions. Having the time to look at situations from different angles is the key to making more innovative and sound decisions.
Overall, the amount of good stretching is invaluable when working remotely. Moreover, you won’t have to commit too much time to practice it. Everyone can agree that performing at your best is well worth the five minutes you take away from your desk.
Takeaway
Whether working remotely is your cup of tea or not, one thing remains the same—adapting to changes can often surprise you with the number of things you discover and learn. As such, while you may practice these tips at home, they can ultimately be brought with you wherever your workplace may be. After all, protecting your spinal health can also be directly related to achieving your goals in your career.
