At Cawley Physical Therapy, we definitely understand the importance of keeping our bodies healthy in all areas of our lives. Whether you’re going for a hike, doing yard work, or working at the office, your muscles and nerves need to be prepared for the activity. One wrong move when working out, or simply sitting at a desk for too long at one time, can really interfere with your body and end up causing you soreness or pain.
Staying healthy has become even more important for many of us in the last several months, as working from home has become the temporary new normal. Being stuck at home for both working and living can actually end up wreaking havoc on our well-being. Our backs can get sore, our necks can hurt, and we could end up needing physical therapy in Lackawanna County.
For those of you who are working from home and in need of some tips on staying healthy and productive while doing so, Cawley has provided this helpful guide.
1. Switch Up Your Workstations
The problems we mentioned above–the sore back and neck–are examples of health issues that can plague you if you sit in one place for too long, not moving. We already know sitting for long periods can hurt your heart and in some cases cause deep-vein thrombosis, a blood clot in your leg.
From the perspective of physical therapists, however, we know that sitting for too long can seriously ache your neck, back, and spine. If you must sit for your job, be sure to use an ergonomic chair with proper back support. And remember to move around every so often. This will keep your muscles limber and stop them from hurting. If you do end up in discomfort, the physical therapists at Cawley can make some recommendations, such as PT exercises for sciatic nerve pain. Chances are high that your body feeling good will help your working-from-home happiness and productivity by a mile.
2. Optimize the Space You Have Available
Maybe your desk and larger work area at the office are just perfect for you, with just the right lighting, chair, and separation from noise. But now you are working from home, and that perfection is no longer available to you. However, that does not mean all is lost. You just have to optimize the space you do have. As physical therapists, we at Cawley first suggest getting yourself an ergonomic office chair, one that supports all parts of your back. You need that support because a slouching area of the back will tend to develop nerve and joint pain and poor circulation. For any of those problems, we would obviously recommend physical therapy in Luzerne County to get you stretching and eliminating that pain.
Aside from making sure your body is in a healthy and safe position while working, you should also try to increase the amount of natural light you get in your working space so your eyes don’t strain from harsh lamps. You may also want to keep some water on your desk at all times to stay hydrated and keep your blood flowing well. Finally, from a productivity perspective, consider working in a room with a door so you can control the noise that enters your area from other parts of the house.
3. Make and Maintain a Schedule
As we have learned already, schedules are good for your body as well as your mind. Just as you should not sit in one spot for hours at a time for physical reasons, so, too, should you avoid doing one thing for a long time due to potential mental strain. This is why our final tip here for staying productive while working from home is to keep a schedule. Working from home is unique in that no one is being directly supervised anymore, so it will be up to you to police yourself in a way to make sure you are getting everything done.
At the same time, you should also be mindful of taking breaks and eating meals. Being productive is good, but you can do more harm than good if you don’t stop working to walk around or eat. Taking a break to walk, by the way, is an excellent way of staying in shape during the working day. It will get your heart pumping and force you to maintain good posture to help lower back pain if you’ve developed some aches and pains from sitting all morning. Keep a schedule for yourself on workdays, and your body and mind will thank you.
Physical Therapy in Northeast PA
Cawley Physical Therapy loves helping people recover from the pain and decreased mobility that troubles them. During these troubling times, it has become difficult for medical professionals of all stripes to see and treat their patients. But that does not mean our patients’ medical needs can be put on pause.
We will be here for your in-office appointments as soon as you are able to come and see us again. However, know that we are also offering telemedicine services for eligible patients! You get the same quality of physical therapy services from us, but without person-to-person contact.
Call us today to learn more about our telemedicine offerings or to schedule an in-office appointment. Whether you need physical therapy in Kingston or any of our other locations, we will be there for you as soon as possible.
