The concept of ergonomics is starting to play an imperative role in promoting workplace wellness and best practices when it comes to workstation use. Regardless of the popularity, the work posture has always been an often-overlooked area, which should, however, be adapted, alongside using ergonomic work concepts. Simply, using ergonomic workspace designs, equipment, and furniture will do nearly nothing when not combined with effective work posture adjustments.
Nearly half of the adult working population is believed to suffer from some form of work posture related to repetitive stress or injuries requiring a physiotherapist in the long run. Bad posture has also taken a significant toll on working efficiency and overall workplace productivity.
Here is more on the importance of adopting a good posture at work.
Prevents Many Musculoskeletal Injuries
According to the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, poor posture at work is a major contributing factor for many musculoskeletal injuries – which rank high among the most common disabling job-related injuries. This includes back pain, strains, sprains, and other types of overuse and repetitive stress injuries.
The chances of developing musculoskeletal injuries as a result of bad working posture are very common among all types of workplaces, ranging from offices to more strenuous work environments such as construction sites, health care facilities, warehouse work, or manufacturing jobs.
Adapting a good work posture goes a long way in keeping your body and its related musculoskeletal system in healthy balance and structure. This should, however, be paired with the right ergonomic work setting.
Maintains Good Body Mechanics
Practicing good posture at work, the place where you spend more than half of your day is crucial to the proper alignment of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. They ensure their ability to work together smoothly and efficiently. Failing to uphold this can restrict your range of motion, making it difficult to do simple routine tasks.
Smooth, efficient motion, known as good body mechanics in physiotherapy – ensures that stress is evenly distributed as one sits, stands, walks, lifts, twists, pushes, or pulls, reducing the probabilities of wear and tear on the body – especially in the joints, muscles, and connective tissues.
Frees Up Breathing And Makes You Energised
Lazy and incorrect posture can make breathing seem like more work than it needs to be. Normally, when slumped over in a poor seated position, you must put more effort into breathing deeply. This can interfere with concentration and attention levels while at work, needing frequent breaks.
Similarly to this, bad or slouched postures can force your muscles to work hard to hold you up in position. The outcome is you start to use more energy, making you feel fatigued and out of energy to carry on with your day.
Adopting the right posture can give your lungs and diaphragm more room to expand and contract as you breathe and, most importantly, make you feel energised with efficient energy use and less chance of fatigue.
Poor posture can also affect your pelvis, causing pelvic floor dysfunction, which later leads to urinary retention, pain during intercourse, and constipation. It can also affect digestive health, causing stomach issues like acid reflux and heartburn.
Some may also develop a special kind of headache called cervicogenic headaches, which originate from neck pain and joint strain.
The right way to deal with bad posture is to consult a physiotherapist or chiropractor from a reliable wellness centre specialising in treating work-related posture problems.
