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Category: Guest Post

5 tips to perfect your workspace setup + ergonomics

The average work day being 8 hours each day and the average work location being at a computer or desk means you need to be ensuring that your workspace is set up effectively. Here are our top five tips to helping prevent neck, shoulder and back as well as reducing sedentary time whilst at work.

Sit to stand desks

Sit to stand desks help minimise long periods of time spent sitting. Through reducing this you are minimising your risk of musculoskeletal injuries, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and poor mental health. It is recommended that you spend no more than 20 minutes sitting at your desk, so try breaking up your seated time by alternating between 10 minutes standing then 20 sitting. From here you can work your way up to standing for longer than you are sitting. Another hot tip is to leave your desk in standing at the end of the work day so that you can begin the next day in standing position to set your standard for the day.

Chair

Office chairs should have height and back rest adjustability to help reduce lower back pain. The backrest height needs to be set-up so that the curve of the back rest sits in the curve of your lower back and should be tilted forward 100-120 degrees for good spinal posture.

Computer

The top of the computer screen should be set at eye level, approximately one arm’s length away to help reduce visual fatigue and a poked neck posture. If you use more than one computer screen, have the main screen in front and the second screen off to one side. If you find yourself consistently turning to use the second screen it would be beneficial to move your chair to have it facing the main screen. This will prevent excessive twisting movement of the body and neck and help to avoid aching and stiffness.

Elbows

Forearms should be rested on the desk with elbows at a 90-degree angle. The G/H keys of the keyboard need to be in in the centre of your body and the mouse sitting at the same level of the G/H keys to the right or left. If using a laptop, try using a separate keyboard to ensure appropriate elbow posture.

Flooring

If using a stand-up desk, it’s not ideal to be standing on concrete or hard flooring. A simple way to address this is by using a mat, however it is important that it isn’t too soft or too hard. A mat needs to be a balance of soft yet supportive material. The ideal mat will compress slightly when standing on it but bounce back to shape when off it. A supportive floor will aid in comforting the arch of the foot, reduce loading through your feet help with shock absorption.

 

This post was written by Laura Wade, 4th year physiotherapist student from Australian Catholic University. 

girl in sunflower field

6 ways to get exercise without actually exercising!

Our lives are getting busier and busier and setting time aside to go get to the gym or go for a run or walk is getting harder and harder. Incidental exercise is a great way to exercise in your day-to-day life without even realising. Incidental exercise is a term for activities that you can undertake in small bursts throughout your day that ultimately increase your overall daily exercise. Oftentimes you won’t even realise that you are in fact exercising!

Here are 6 ways that you can add incidental exercise into your day:

Take the stairs

Of course it is often easier to take the lift or use the elevator but, more often than not, it can actually end up taking more time to wait for the lift than to use the stairs. Taking the stairs, rather than waiting for this lift, can increase your exercise and efficiency. It’s a win win!

Complete 2 x sit to stand every time you get up from your seat

One easy way to add a little more exercise to your day is when you stand up from your chair, to sit back down and then stand up again. You may look a little crazy, but sit to stand is a great exercise to strengthen all of your lower limb muscles. Doubling your reps is a great way to add more exercise throughout your day and build leg strength.

Park further away from the shops or work

Rather than seeking the closest possible carpark, parking a block or two away from your destination will give you an opportunity for a brisk walk to and from work or the shops without even noticing. Public transport users can give this one a go by getting off one stop earlier, or walking to a further away stop to start your journey.

Drink from a cup rather than a water bottle

If you drink from a cup rather than a large water bottle you will be required to stand up and walk to the tap more frequently to fill up the cup. Think about how much incidental exercise you could build up if you drink the recommended 2L of water during your day. Even better if you do a double sit to stand every time you get up for a refill!

Leave your phone in another room

Leaving your phone in another room will mean that if you want to keep updated with your social media or text messages then you will need to walk to your phone to keep up to date. Added bonus – it can help you stay focussed and maximise your productivity!

Get your coffee/tea takeaway

Instead of sitting down with your friends to drink your hot beverage and socialise, get it takeaway and go for a walk with your friends. Walk, talk and drink all at the same time whilst burning calories.

 

Incidental exercise is a perfect way to exercise every day without having to worry about time which is often the biggest barrier to exercising.

 

This post was written by Laura Wade, 4th year physiotherapist student from Australian Catholic University. 

5 TheraBand exercises you can do when travelling

Being away from home and doing strength exercises can be challenging. Packing a small TheraBand can be a quick, easy and space saving way to complete a wide variety of exercises for the whole body.

What is TheraBand?

TheraBand is a natural rubber latex strip that can be used for a wide variety of resistance exercises. 

Here are 5 of the best TheraBand exercises to do whilst travelling:
Bicep Curls Theraband < Bicep curls

Stand on the middle of the TheraBand and hold on with both hands. Bend your elbow to pull the TheraBand towards your shoulder.

 

Rows >

Fold the TheraBand in half and close it in a door to secure it at approximately elbow height. Hold onto both ends of the TheraBand with your elbows bent, squeeze shoulder blades together and bring elbows back.

< Shoulder press

Lay on your back, with the TheraBand underneath you. Hold onto both ends of the TheraBand, straighten your elbows and bring both ends of the TheraBand to touch in the middle of your body at arm’s length.

Clams >

Make the TheraBand into a circle and lay on your side with your knees bent. Place the TheraBand just above your knees. Keep your heels together and bring the top knee up towards the roof and lower back down.

< Squats

Stand with both feet on the TheraBand and hold onto both ends with your hands and elbows straight. Bend knees to 90 degrees and elbows to 90 degrees, then stand back up.

 

This post was written by Laura Wade, 4th year physiotherapist student from Australian Catholic University. 

Clinical Pilates: the Benefits

Clinical Pilates, when tailored by your physiotherapist, is a system of safe and effective exercises to meet your specific individual needs. It focuses on building strength in the deeper layer of your abdominal muscles, in your deep supportive spinal muscles, and in your hip/pelvic musculature – all of which support/enhance your core strength, balance and stability. Building a strong core foundation will allow your body to function at a higher capacity, improve your posture and reduce the incidence of pain and injury.

Clinical Pilates is also used by elite athletes of all disciplines, including dancers, to improve essential movement patterns and enhance fitness and performance, as well as to assist with injury prevention.

In the last decade, clinical Pilates has been an increasingly popular choice of rehabilitation for any age and ability. With increasing evidence to support its use, let’s take a look at some of the benefits it can provide.

  • Prevents injuryClinical pilates | Brisbane Physio | Stafford Physiotherapy Centre
  • Helps to resolve spinal pain or limb pain
  • Improves core stability and pelvic floor function
  • Improves the quality of movement, agility and flexibility
  • Improves balance reaction times
  • Tones muscles
  • Increases bone density
  • Improves your mobility
 Injury prevention

By exercising your body in a balanced manner, clinical Pilates helps to resolve muscle imbalances that we may have, thereby reducing the risk of injury to the body. With better use of core muscles to stabilise the trunk, our limbs have a more stable platform from which to operate reducing the risk of peripheral injury.

Resolution of spinal and limb pain

A lot of spinal pain stems from our muscles “bracing” or contracting excessively and compressing the structures that are experiencing injury, inflammation and swelling. With better control of muscles around the trunk and pelvis and with more normal activation of muscles around these structures, we can eliminate pain from the spine.

Clinical Pilates is also used to rehabilitate the limbs after injury, helping to tone and strengthen – to reduce or eliminate pain and aid in recovery.

Improved core stability and pelvic floor function

The technique used to engage the core muscles during the movement of clinical Pilates also engages the pelvic floor muscles, which strengthens them. Each exercise repeatedly targets the contraction of specific muscle groups thereby toning the muscles that are engaged in the exercises.

Improved quality of movement, balance, agility and flexibility

There are exercises in clinical Pilates that have different focuses, while still engaging the core muscles. There are dynamic movements to test and train your reflexes that will translate to improved reaction times and assist your balance and agility. Other exercises work specific muscle groups to the end of range thereby improving your flexibility. Finally, by controlling the motion, clinical Pilates can fine-tune the muscles to work together in an optimised pattern.

Clinical pilates | Brisbane Physio | Stafford Physiotherapy Centre | Sandra DayToned muscles and increased bone density

Each exercise is working against the resistance of springs or body weight, thereby stimulating the production of cells to produce more bone in response to the controlled stresses placed on the skeleton.

Improved mobility

Our walking and physical function are determined by our body’s ability to engage our muscles in a specific, refined and efficient manner. When we are reinforcing better muscle recruitment patterns, our body will move more efficiently allowing greater mobility when walking, running, swimming or in any physical activity.

In summary, there are many benefits in the use of clinical Pilates for your body. Contact us for more information.

This post was written by Sophie Halsall-McLennan, the head Physiotherapist at Fresh Start Physiotherapy in Geelong.