Sitting on the job? | IMPAC health and safety

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It’s no secret that sitting in an office chair all day isn’t doing our bodies any favours. The negative effects have been well researched, documented, and published. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things we can do to counteract the consequences.

Read on for our list of easy-to-adopt tips and ideas to increasing your health and well-being while at work.

There are things office workers can do to undo the damage of sitting on the job. Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash.

Get up and move

Ideally, we’d get up from our desks every hour to stretch or take a quick lap around the office. This seems straight forward enough, but when we’re in the zone, hours can go past without moving a muscle. Luckily, there are apps to give us a reminder when it’s time to get up and move.

Adjust your environment

Do you know how to correctly set up your desk, chair, and monitor? Habitat at Work, an ACC initiative, has provided some excellent DPI prevention tips about setting up your workstation and environment:

• Chair – correct height should have knees at 100-110° angles for good lumbar support
• Desk – correct height should have elbows at 90° angles
• Keyboard / mouse – have them close, with arms relaxed and not extended
• Monitor – the top of screen at eye height

Ditch the email

When possible, go and verbally deliver a message to your colleagues instead of emailing it to them. Not only will you be able to tick off your movement for that hour, but connecting with colleagues is also great for our wellbeing.  

Walk while you talk

Incoming call? Take it to go and head outside for a walk while you’re on the phone. Have a meeting scheduled? Do it on the move; a change of scenery might just be great for creativity.  

Standing desk?

While not a practical option for everyone, you should talk to your employer and see if a standing desk could be a possibility, which would eliminate the harmful effects of sitting on the job.

Attend an IMPAC course

Preventing & Managing DPI builds understanding of the causes and symptoms of discomfort, pain, and injury, describes methods to prevent development, and how to manage the risks to staff experiencing symptoms.

The 1-day in-house course is ideal for all employees, supervisors, and managers who are involved in repetitive, forceful work or sustained postures where there is a risk of DPI. Call the team on 0800 246 722 if you’d like to know more.