Postural Well-being, Key In Teleworking

Due to the pandemic, millions of people in the world now work remotely using digital tools, adopting a model that, had it not been for these circumstances, would have taken much longer to be massively implemented in the workplace.

Teleworking, whether in a systematic or partial way, has definitely come to stay, with a growing acceptance by companies and employees.

But, beyond its advantages, such as family conciliation, fewer trips, reduced traffic and pollution, and time savings, remote work can have an unfavorable impact on health, caused by the use of inadequate furniture and equipment. , bad postural habits or a poor distribution of the work space.

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This can have consequences: from musculoskeletal injuries or discomfort, visual and mental fatigue and tingling in the legs, to vertigo, contractures, low back pain and tendonitis, according to experts in ergonomics and occupational hazards.

In this sense, 55% of the participants in a survey by the company for the design and manufacture of workspaces Actiu, claim to have had or know someone with musculoskeletal problems and discomfort associated with the use of inappropriate furniture while teleworking recent.

This firm (www.actiu.com) is part of the Spanish Distance Work Observatory (OTaD), an initiative that aims to contribute to the expansion of a distance work model that provides security to workers and companies, and contribute to an adaptation to the new labor realities and to greater flexibility and efficiency.

A healthy home office

“A key issue in the configuration of the ‘home office’ (home office) is the choice of certified chairs and tables, but factors such as lighting, ventilation, environmental conditions, active breaks and alternation must also be taken into account of tasks ”, according to Soledat Berbegal, advisor and director of brand reputation. of Actiu.

“We know that movement fosters creativity and improves productivity. If the user can move freely, this means that their muscles are activated, their fatigue, effort and tension are reduced, at the same time that they become more efficient and productive, always with the aim of keeping the body and mind healthy “, he points out. Berbegal.

The expert tells Efe that taking care of the health and posture of the body is crucial during long working hours.

“For this reason, it is important to organize the working day, plan the schedules, including specific breaks, aimed at promoting body movement,” as he points out.

Berbegal emphasizes incorporating active breaks, that is, short breaks of a few minutes during which stretching exercises and muscle and joint mobility are carried out, and alternating different tasks during the workday in the ‘home office’, to avoid mental overload and physical.

Also consider that the choice of furniture is decisive.

“A suitable table and chair are necessary for the work to be carried out and that comply with the standards and regulations of durability, ergonomics, stability and safety, applicable to office furniture, since they are going to be used on a regular basis for professional purposes ”, he points out.

According to studies and experts in ergonomics, it is recommended that this ‘home office’ furniture has been designed and manufactured to respond to the movements of the body.

Berbegal points out that there are work chairs that “take care of the back and posture, which in addition to offering good lumbar support, a wide seat, armrests and being swivel, have a backrest with an intelligent response, which ‘perceives and interprets’ the movements of the user and anticipates them, adapting their morphology, height, inclination and torsion ”.

“There are also functional folding, elevating and mobile tables, with a height adjustment system that does not require electricity and works by means of a button that activates a gas piston, controlling the ascent or descent of the work surface, allowing to alternate the work of standing and sitting, and facilitating mobility ”, he points out.

The Director of Innovation of the Institute of Biomechanics of Valencia (IBV), Rosa Porcar, points out that “the ‘home office’ as a regular work space, has to comply with all the requirements and implications of occupational risks since, in fact, that furniture directly influences the health of the worker ”.

Ergonomics of remote work

Using ergonomic furniture and performing mobility and stretching exercises (active pause) prevent pain derived from poor posture, according to Actiu experts.

They point out that a suitable chair and table for teleworking are those that are comfortable and maintain a correct posture.

The furniture should allow the teleworker to keep their head up, their shoulders relaxed and their back straight, with their eyes directed to the front, according to this specialized firm.

In addition, they recommend that in a sitting position the arms and legs are bent at 90-degree angles (forearm with respect to the arm, thigh with respect to the leg), with the hands being in line with the arms and feet firmly supported on the floor or a footrest.

They also advise that the chair have a mobile base to be able to carry out the effort with the legs and not with the trunk.

When teleworking at home, the monitor must be in the center of the line of sight, the reading material must be easily accessible and the lighting must be correct and moderate, as indicated.

Berbegal adds, for its part, that “light, as natural as possible, is a fundamental element of productivity in the ‘home office’, since it enhances well-being, increases creativity and facilitates the development of tasks in a more agile and efficient ”.

It also emphasizes the importance of having the appropriate devices that facilitate correct body posture, such as, for example, a screen that allows you to keep your back straight and your gaze in a straight line, instead of a small laptop at a low height that forces to bend the neck.

“The screens, keyboards and other elements necessary for work must be placed at the correct distance from the body to ensure comfort,” he adds.

“Appropriate digital tools allow working remotely, being connected most of the time with the rest of the co-workers, using shared content platforms and holding videoconferences efficiently”, concludes Berbegal.

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