Looking at the current number of covid community cases in Singapore, it looks like working from home (WFH) will be the default for at least a few more months. Some of us do not have the proper set-up at home, compared to our work office ergonomics. Many of us spend our working hours crouched on our bed/sofa or slouched at the dining table. To make matters worse, our working hours are even longer now. Therefore, it’s important that we start looking at solutions to improve our posture. After all, preventing is better than cure.

The ideal set-up would be to have an adjustable standing desk so that we can alternate between standing and sitting. But what if we don’t have an adjustable table?

• The covid 19 pandemic has led to an adoption of working from home to curb the spread of virus. Lower back strain and neck pain exacerbated during working from home caused by improvised home setups and more sedentary lifestyle.
• Poor ergonomics are commonly seen working from home: unsupported chairs, non-adjustable seat height, inappropriate positioning of keyboards, mouses or computer monitors may promote the onset of musculoskeletal pain.
• Bad posture such as slouching, sitting for long periods, looking down at monitors, extending your wrists, and relying upon a laptop screen without any height-adjustable support put additional physical stress on your body that you may not notice but will feel later.
• While you might be able to tolerate a day of working from the couch or sitting on a common kitchen chair, but unfortunately in the long run, these habits can have a negative impact on your body and health.
• Self-therapeutic approach such as stretching improve flexibility, reduce muscle soreness, and thus reduce the risk of neck and back pain. Try these stretches to alleviate and protect against lower back and neck pain. Prevention is better than cure now, than regret in search for treatment from doctor, physiotherapist, chiropractor, TCM or back massage or miracle!