WELLNESS WEDNESDAY TIP– Take 5 minutes of each hour to stand up and stretch. Whether its taking a walk to the bathroom, or filling up your water bottle, giving your body routine breaks can have great benefits. Adding this small practice in your daily routine to relieve pressure in your joints and stretch your muscles can greatly improve overall physical and occupational wellness.
By: Chad Trent, Industrial Hygienist (the science of protecting and enhancing health and workplace safety)
Ergonomics is the study of an individual’s efficiency in the workspace. Poor office ergonomics often lead to Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s), which are issues affecting our muscles, nerves, and tendons. Work-related MSD’s are one of the main reasons for injury/illness related workdays lost. As workers we are exposed to numerous risks during the workday, such as sitting at a desk or having poor posture for long periods of time, lifting heavy objects, or repeatedly performing the same task. Being exposed to these kinds of risks can increase the chance of injury and affect our overall wellness and productivity in the workplace.
Fortunately, changing workplace habits can be simple and easy. Practicing better office ergonomics can help you be more comfortable at work, help lower stress, and reduce injury. It focuses on how things are set up in your office workspace.
When your office workstation is set up correctly, you may:
- Be less likely to have headaches or eyestrain
- Reduce neck and back pain
- Prevent carpal tunnel, bursitis, or tendon problems
WSU Spokane will host a training session so you can ensure your office is set up correctly, benefitting your health. The training will help you learn how to set up your workstation and to understand the reasoning as to why to set it up so you can make adjustments to fit you.
Join Chad Trent on Wednesday Nov. 18 from 12:10-12:55 in SAC 241 for a hands-on lunch demonstration to learn how to set up your ideal working environment.