{"id":685,"date":"2018-05-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cos.p10.sol1.net\/uncategorized\/technology-is-more-mobile-but-were-moving-less\/"},"modified":"2022-07-19T00:50:57","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T00:50:57","slug":"technology-is-more-mobile-were-moving-less","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/cospedia\/technology-is-more-mobile-were-moving-less","title":{"rendered":"Technology is More Mobile, but We\u2019re Moving Less"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Sitting down all day is bad for your health; that\u2019s old news by now. Those of us who spend most of our workday seated at a desk are at greater risk of increased blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, and even certain types of cancer.<\/p>

While technological advances have undoubtedly created immeasurable benefits and economic value, the impact hasn\u2019t been quite as positive for\u00a0our\u00a0health and wellbeing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

None of us want to be unhealthy. Other than feeling awful, being in pain or unwell impacts our personal and work life,\u00a0making\u00a0us far less productive than we could be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Could ergonomics be the solution to this?<\/p>

Workplace ergonomics<\/strong><\/h3>

With the advancement of technology and mobile devices, ergonomics in the workplace<\/a>\u00a0is more important than ever.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

While enabling more flexibility in terms of where and when we work, technology was not designed with the human body in mind. It has inadvertently extended the work week and\u00a0replaced physical activity\u00a0which is a natural part of our lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cOur bodies have evolved over millions of years to do one thing: move. As human beings, we evolved to stand upright. For thousands of generations, our environment demanded nearly constant physical activity\u201d says Dr. James Levine Ph.D., an international government consultant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Dr. Levine has published extensive research about the detrimental effect sitting (which he describes as the new smoking) is having on civilised societies. His research is compelling and strengthens the case for making ergonomic resources and design in the workplace a priority.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

We sit during our morning commute, at our desk, in meetings, and at lunch. We drive home, we sit at the dinner table or restaurant, and then we sit and watch TV. We can shop, pay bills, work, be entertained, and even socialise whilst sitting idly for extended periods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Ergonomics is increasingly important in the design and furnishing of workspaces. As an example, the Danish government has mandated that all office workers must have a height adjustable desk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

It\u2019s crucial for job efficiency and productivity, so addressing it right away with new\u00a0recruits\u00a0is a great way to stop bad habits from forming. Remember that younger\u00a0staff\u00a0have grown up with technology and so have likely already developed some bad habits, potentially causing musculoskeletal injuries that the older among us didn\u2019t experience until after many years on the job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

With all of this in mind it\u2019s clear that ergonomics should be a fundamental part of your business plan, and at the forefront of\u00a0everyone\u2019s\u00a0mind.<\/p>

Incorporating ergonomics<\/h3>

The goal of ergonomics is to establish a comfortable posture and adapt your work habits to maintain a healthy body and mind. Interrupt your sedentary stints as often as possible. \u201cStand up every half hour,\u201d says Neville Owen, Ph.D., an expert in human movement and health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Of course, ergonomics extends far beyond height-adjustable desks. Poor ergonomic designs can cause musculoskeletal disorders, one of the most common being carpal tunnel syndrome. Other complaints include stiff necks, sore backs, headaches and migraines, and even ganglion cysts from repetitive movements.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

You can reduce your risk of injury, fatigue, and disease by switching your workstation furniture and computer accessories for ergonomic<\/a>\u00a0alternatives and incorporating\u00a0more physical activity into your work day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Ergonomics is not a one-size-fits-all solution and best practice highlights the importance of staff trying out a variety of devices and furniture options. Not everybody is the same, and a thorough testing and experimental process can highlight what is most important for each individual.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

By focusing on the ergonomic benefits of your office products, you are protecting the\u00a0most important assets you have \u2013 your\u00a0health and wellbeing.<\/p>

10 Tips for a good ergonomic workstation:<\/h3>
  1. Inject more movement into your day and alleviate back strain by using a sit-stand desk<\/a>, which is the ultimate ergonomic desk.<\/li>
  2. Stand up to take phone calls and go for walks with colleagues to brainstorm.<\/li>
  3. Switch between your ergonomic\u00a0chair<\/a>\u00a0and a large stability ball, which will force you to engage your muscles.<\/li>
  4. Sit upright! It might sound obvious, but are you doing it? Slouching puts pressure on the discs and vertebrae of your back.<\/li>
  5. Be aware of your head position and try to keep the weight of your head directly above the neck. Don\u2019t \u201ccrane\u201d your head and neck forward.<\/li>
  6. To further\u00a0minimise\u00a0neck strain the monitor\/laptop should be placed\u00a0at eye level and directly in front of you. Adjust your chair\u00a0or use a\u00a0monitor riser<\/a>\u00a0to keep the screen at the ideal\u00a0height.<\/li>
  7. To avoid eye strain, your monitor should ideally sit at least an arm\u2019s length away from you.<\/li>
  8. Support the weight of your arms and wrists with an\u00a0arm or wrist rest<\/a>.\u00a0If not, the muscles of your neck and shoulders will be tense by the end of the day.<\/li>
  9. If possible, use a\u00a0headset<\/a>\u00a0or a device that doesn\u2019t require you to hold your phone up to your ear for long periods of time.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>
  10. If you’re a shorty whose feet don\u2019t comfortably reach the floor,\u00a0use a\u00a0footrest<\/a>\u00a0or lower\u00a0your chair.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t

    No products were found with the applied settings<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

    0<\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div>
    <\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Sitting down all day is bad for your health; that\u2019s old news by now. Those of us who spend most of our workday seated at a desk are at greater risk of increased blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, and even certain types of cancer. While technological advances have undoubtedly created immeasurable benefits and … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":686,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,31],"tags":[320,321,322,323,85,324,325,326,327,328],"class_list":["post-685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cospedia","category-health-wellbeing","tag-back-support","tag-ergonomic-designs","tag-ergonomic-desk","tag-ergonomic-workstation","tag-ergonomics","tag-ergonomics-in-the-workplace","tag-perching-stool","tag-sculpt-ergonomic-mouse","tag-sit-stand-desk","tag-workplace-ergonomics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=685"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25810,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685\/revisions\/25810"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}