5 ways to prevent back pain at work

Sitting, they say is the new ‘smoking’ that is harming more people every day. Long periods of sitting in an incorrect posture and indiscriminate dependency on technology is considered the leading cause of lifestyle diseases like neck and low back pain. The average office goes spends up to 10 hours sitting in front of the computer/meetings and another hour driving. The focus needs to be on finding ways to strengthen the body so that one may sit for longer periods without injuries.

To combat these issues, points to keep in mind are:

The chair height should be lower than your work table so that the computer is slightly below the eye level.

Have a chair with comfortable arm rests, where you can rest your elbows and prevent your shoulder from being in a hunched position

For people with low back pain, placing a cushion on the chair helps in releasing stiffness around the back and upper thighs

Walking for short intervals is the best antidote to low back pain. Take walking breaks for every 1-2 hours. This prevents the hamstrings and upper thighs from becoming stiff and helps them loosen up.

Avoid crossing legs or ankles while sitting. This leads to most of your weight to lean to a side of the pelvis, leading to pelvic instability and low back pain.

In a seated position, stretching the spine to one side alternatively towards the floor helps prevent this.