With the gym and team sports off the cards at the moment, many New Zealanders aren't being as active as usual.
And needless to say, not all of our work-from-home setups are winning ergonomic accolades.
First Up producer Ellie Jay got some tips from an Auckland studio specialising in strengthening posture and getting a more functional body.
Everyone adjusts differently in lockdown, Michelle says.
“[In workplaces, people] normally have an ergonomic workstation set up with a nice chair and the right distance of space between the computer. Then if they end up in these funky positions [while working from home] there can be a lot of load on their neck and back.
“They can get stiff and uncomfortable from sitting or being stuck in position.”
When it comes to countering stiffness with exercise, Michelle advises people not to get too worked up quickly, but instead take small steps and build up in increments.
“Things that really do help are structural based [exercises] which move things differently than general activity and that can be really helpful to make the body feel better.”
When seated for work at home, ensure your hips are angled a bit higher than your knees (perhaps with a footrest if your legs are dangling), and that your computer is raised to eye level, she says.
“Generally, in what we call a gravity line, we’re looking at how people are sitting through the ear, shoulder, through the hip … and if the body is migrating forward of that [gravity line], then you start getting the drag and load on the joints.”
Michelle acknowledges it’s not possible to stay in one position all day, so she suggests people move a lot throughout.
“Having some tools to help the body move and pump and hydrate and nourish [itself] through motion is even better than staying just in a good position.
“That can be very helpful whether people are athletic, stuck at a computer, a gym-goer, anyone - this type of movement just makes the body feel a lot better.”
