Hot seating is becoming very popular in large offices. The idea of hot seating is that rather than having a set desk to work from office workers must move around different desks day to day. While this may solve some HR problems it certainly isn’t great for their workers posture and spine health. In an ideal world it would be best if everyone had a set desk designed to their particular shape and size. The ideal posture when working for a computer is to have the monitor at eye level, desk chair at a height which allows the hips to be higher than the knees while maintaining a nice neural lumbar and thoracic spine when sitting. However this is probably going to be hard to achieve on a daily basis if you are in an office which makes you move desks on a regular basis. So here are a few chiro tips for people who do have to hot seat.
- Find 3-4 desks in the office that you prefer and allow you to have a good working posture. This way if your favourite spot is taken hopefully you will have a couple of back up options to move to.
- If the height of the computer monitors is varied and causes you to get a sore neck, try and find some large stacks of photocopying paper or thick books to place under the monitor that you can leave at work and use when at a workstation that isn’t ergonomic for you.
- If the chairs at the workstation are uncomfortable or un-ergonomic try sit towards to edge of the chair rather than slouching and leaning back. Sitting forward may help you to maintain a good curve in the lumbar spine which can help prevent lower back pain.
- Getting up and moving as much as possible throughout the day will also assist with keeping you feeling loose and limber. Our bodies are designed to move so getting up for your desk every hour or two is important.
- If aches and pains do set in from a poor ergonomic environment chiropractic can be a great option. As a chiro in Brisbane city I often see people with postural issues. Getting your spine and posture assessed by a chiro may be of benefit for staying pain free at work.
