Staying healthy behind a desk (with desk exercises)

A desk job may not seem like dangerous work. However, in the long run, it can cause all kinds of health problems. Fortunately, there are ways to stop your desk job eating away at your health. Here are just a few ways to fight back and stay healthy.

Do desk-ercises

Being inactive all day can take its toll. Many core muscles such as the hip flexors can shorten and waste away, which can result in these muscles turning to fat. There are many exercises to combat this, some of which can be done sat down, the likes of which you’ll find at this source: https://defendyourhealthcare.us/. You should also do stretches to protect your posture. Being craned over a desk all day can have effect on the spine and cause backache later on in life. Regularly stretch out your spine by sitting back and stretching above your head.

Consider a standing desk

Much of our work now requires us to be glued to a computer. However, that doesn’t mean you should always be sat down. It’s possible to buy a stand up desk allowing you to work an office job without the bad health effects of sitting down all day. A standing desk can improve your posture and take less stress off your knees whilst also allowing your hip flexors to stretch out. Many standing desks can be altered to match your height, so that you’re not bending down to look at them.

Keep your desk clean

Unclean desks can be a source of all kinds of illness-spreading germs. Computer keyboards, in particular, are thought to be covered in bacteria. One study even claims that keyboards on average contain 20,000 more germs than a toilet seat. With many of us sharing keyboards, it’s easy to see how illnesses can be spread. Mugs are thought to be another common culprit when it comes to carrying lots of bacteria. Whilst many of these get washed, not everybody washes them as thoroughly as they would at home. Even if your office has cleaners, it’s likely they won’t be employed to deep clean your keyboard and mug, so make sure you’re doing this yourself to prevent yourself getting sick as often.  

Protect your eyes

We’re still unsure of the effects that staring at a computer screen may have in the long run. We do however know that staring at a bright screen in a relatively dark room can damage our vision. Make sure that you’re always using your computer in a well-lit environment. It’s worth not having your monitor’s brightness too high as this is likely to cause damage too. This site http://www.allaboutvision.com/cvs/irritated.htm details what to do to further protect your eyes when working.