Expert's 6 top tips when working at home
It may seem a bit paradoxical that those of us who invest in a good working environment at work, with ergonomic chairs and height-adjustable desks, throw ourselves on a sofa or sit on hard kitchen chairs when we work at home. But there are solutions to how you can make your body feel better when you work at home. Follow these 6 tips from physiotherapist Gunilla Tapper on the Health Link and you can sit right and avoid back pain even at home.
"If the employer commands you to work at home, you have the right to bring equipment, such as chair, keyboard, etc., from work," says Gunilla Tapper." Your employer is then responsible for how you sit and the conditions at your workplace. But if you choose to work at home, it is your own responsibility that you make sure you sit well. But it's also about moving around. By that I don't mean going to the gym a couple of times a week and then sitting still in between. Your body doesn't know if you're wearing workout clothes or not – move around a lot, and in different ways."
Gunilla's 6 top tips:
1. Change positions often, preferably every 20 minutes.
2. Vary between different good positions, and do not go from a good to a bad one.
3. If you do not have a height adjustable table, think new when it comes to standing height. Maybe you can have a banana box on the dining table, or put the coffee table on the dining table. Think creatively!
4. An important point is to ensure that the arms have good support.
5. If you do not have an adjustable chair, try raising the seat with cushions, or maybe put something under the chair legs so that the chair comes higher up – just make sure you are seated securely and stable.
6. Get a routine. At work, you might go out for lunch, take a coffee break, stand up and talk to colleagues – treat yourself to such breaks at home too.
