If you spend the majority of your day sitting in an office environment, there may be a few health risks of which you should be aware. Knowledge is the best defense against unknown threats to your health and happiness, so arm yourself with information.
Take some time now to invest in your future and your overall physical health. Before you have to work your way into an urgent care treatment facility, take some precautions right away.
Check out a short summary, featuring some of the most common health risks faced by office professionals today, and consider how you might boost your chances for a long, healthy existence.
Circulation and blood pressure issues
Sitting in one place for a long amount of time can be detrimental to your body’s circulation over time. Your heart may also be affected by hours upon hours of sedentary office work.
It’s best to get some exercise throughout the day, even if it’s only for a couple of minutes every hour. You should get up and move around a bit every once in a while to give your body the chance to circulate newly oxygenated blood to all of your starving extremities.
Carpal tunnel and other skeletal discomforts
Carpal tunnel and other skeletal malfunctions are extremely common in career office professionals. Years of typing without proper form, and sitting in the same chair with your arms reached out five days a week will eventually take a painful toll on the body.
It is much better for your body to invest in some ergonomically correct office supplies. Your keyboard, mouse, and especially your office chair should all promote proper posture and positioning.
Excess strain on the eyes
Staring at your computer screen for eight hours a day creates an ideal environment for developing eye strain issues. Long term, computer screens can cause damage to your vision, frequent migraines, and an array of other painful afflictions.
Practice taking time to blink throughout the day. Step away from the screen from time to time, and invest in a high-tech adaptive screen to reduce lighting stressors on your eyes. Additionally, some people might also want to consider getting some blue light glasses to make sure they can avoid blue light exposure. That has been known to cause headaches and disruptions in sleep, so it might be worth purchasing some specialized glasses to reduce exposure.
Bacteria and other contact afflictions
If you work in a communal office environment, you work in a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. Touching the many different surfaces in your office puts you at risk for infection and sickness.
Practice sanitization in the office, and bring your own keyboard (if you can). Anytime you’re regularly subjected to a number of different people, your immune system is being put to the test. Take rejuvenating vitamins, and don’t touch your face or rub your eyes without first washing your hands to assure and maintain your health.