Ergonomics in the workplace

Does your office workstation (i.e. chair, desk, computer etc.) provide you with more aches and pains within your body? Or does your workstation contribute to feelings of sluggishness and unproductivity?

If you answered yes, it might be that you do not have an ergonomically set up workstation. 

What is workplace ergonomics?

It is adapting an individual’s workstation. Adjusting the task (for example typing) and equipment (in this case a computer) in order that it may fit the person and the environment.

The goal of workplace ergonomics is two fold:

• To provide maximum productivity with minimal cost.
• To prevent work related injuries.

Workplace ergonomics and Lower back pain (LBP)

Statistics have shown that adults, spend nearly more than 80 % of their waking hours engaged in behaviours (such as sitting) that does not contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Our lifestyles and jobs/educational institutes (schools and universities) demand of us to sit for prolonged periods of time.

Sitting in itself is not a risk factor for the development of LBP, but rather sitting, coupled with a slouched posture and prolonged unbroken sitting periods. This phenomenon is usually called, poor posture, and the more time you expose your body to poor posture, the more time it will take for you to recover from it.

Treatment strategies

Keeping track of the amount of time that you are engaged in behaviours that does not expend a lot of energy such as sitting. This will help you get an idea of how active or inactive you are.

Ergonomic testing which may include:

          -Posture evaluation

          -Adjusting chairs

          -Rearranging the workstation layout

          -Monitors

          -Keyboards

          -Mouse

The best thing to do however is to;

Stand up, Sit less, Move more, Move often!

Here are some stretches to get you going

Please consult a Biokineticist if you already have any orthopaedic injuries, before engaging in ANY of these stretches.