Hey!
I have been getting a lot of messages from people who are struggling with their back due to being in uncomfortable positions when working during lockdown.
I’m always trying to encourage people to look after their bodies instead of having to ‘fix’ them when things start going wrong. If you are reading this and you are also struggling to get comfortable or are suffering with back/neck or shoulder pain after sitting when working from home, I want to reassure you that it is really simple to set up a standing desk, whenever you are.
It may seem like a big ask, you may think that you can’t be bothered or that you will not be able to work as productively. But research has found so many benefits to working when standing, especially in terms of the long term effects on your body. Many have found that it can actually improve how efficiently you work.
If you are working at a computer please consider trying to stand up at least for a couple of hours.
I’m still recovering from a herniated disc which started giving me problems in November.. that’s 7 months ago! I believe that sitting & leaning forwards into my microphone when editing my fitness videos played a big part in my back injury and trust me it has been horrendous. If I’d have known sitting could have caused all of this pain I would have always stood up to work on my laptop.
But this isn’t just about me, I’m bothered about this because I work in the “making other people feel better” business.
SO many people sit down for work & almost every time I speak to someone about aches & pains in their body they tell me about how they sit down all day or are generally in one position for most of the day.
Often people call me and say I would like to book in for a sports massage but is it just for sports people?!
My reply: ‘No, no a sports massage is suitable for anyone who enjoys a deep tissue massage.’ Most of my massage clients Sit. Down. All. Day. 😭
Everyone knows if you sit in a really bad position for 7 hours or drive for 7 hours you feel stiff/achey/in pain (unless you’re under 20). Imagine the effects it could have if you do that for another 10-20 years.
One of my personal training clients started working from home at the start of lockdown but was suffering with aches and pains so I encouraged her to set up a standing desk, this is what she said after 7 weeks:
“When I started working from home I initially sat at the dining table while using my laptop. After speaking to Charlotte about my hips I set up my ironing board to create a stand up desk and I tend to alternate between standing and sitting.
Standing up to work has made me more conscious about my posture, and also makes me naturally move my body more.
Before lockdown, I used to find that my hips would often ache at night but this has got better since I’ve spent more time standing. I’d definitely recommend trying it!”
It’s really easy to work standing up, please check out my ‘just for fun’ video below on Instagram.
Do not hesitate to message me if you have any questions.
Charlotte x
❤️