With women often juggling multiple roles and carrying pre-disposing factors including and not limited to emotional stress, lack of sleep and fitness levels, it may be sometimes days or even weeks, before a workstation based employee may notice a persistent pain or injury related to their work posture.
Following these simple tips can promote a healthy and safe posture to boost comfort, work productivity, and prevent a musculoskeletal injury.
As humans we’re not built to sit for prolonged periods, or to maintain prolonged static positions. The simple act of sitting contributes to spinal compression. Team this with a poor posture, for a prolonged period, and you have recipe for muscle fatigue, stretching of ligaments and eventual tearing of intervertebral discs. Prolonged awkward postures at a workstation are often static – this means limited movement of blood and therefore oxygen to the very body parts, often upper limbs and shoulders, being asked to perform constant and repetitive work.
The spine is a wonderful invention! Designed in an ‘S’ shape it functions to support an upright posture, protect organs, and give flexibility. When the spine is maintained in its natural curves, it will function at its best.
And most importantly…remind your employees, and in particular this week, the women in your workplace, to get up out of their chair, stretch and move every 30 minutes – balancing static postures with healthy movement. Stand up for Women’s Health this week!