When you are working from home, it’s important that you look after your health. Mental health can be a problem because you don’t get much interaction and you can start to get a bit of cabin fever. However, there are a lot of physical problems you need to tackle too.
Leg pain is very common when sitting down all day, and it can be worse when working from home because many people stay at their desk for lunch and work longer hours. When you are in a static position all day long, it can cause stiffness in the muscles. There is also the potential for fluid to build up in the veins and that can cause pain as well.
If you work from home a lot, you need to make sure that you take preventative measures to reduce your leg pain. There are some great exercises you can do and thinking about the way that you set up your workstation is important too. Here’s how you can combat leg pain when working from home.
Take Regular Breaks
The main reason that people experience leg pain is that they don’t move around enough. Your legs are in the same position for hours on end, so the muscles get stiff and start to hurt. Taking regular breaks to get up and walk around is the easiest way to prevent this. Every hour or so, get out of your seat and walk around for 5 minutes to stretch your legs. Having regular breaks will improve your productivity at work as well as reducing your leg pain, so it’s very important.
Do Some Simple Stretches
Even if you take breaks, your legs will still get stiff from time to time. Doing regular stretches can help alleviate the tightness in your muscles and give you a lot of relief. Whenever you get up to take a break, do a few simple leg stretches for a couple of minutes. Try to do them when you get up and before you go to bed too. You don’t need to spend too much time on it and once you incorporate it into your daily routine, you will see a big reduction in leg pain.
Exercise Your Legs
Strengthening your lower body can help to support your spine and alleviate pain from sitting. Activating your leg muscles on a regular basis will also stop them from stiffening up, so try to do some simple exercises like squats from time to time. You can also do some great glute workouts from South America to strengthen those muscles too. Between regular exercise and stretching, you can prevent stiffness in your legs and increase your strength so you can take the strain off your joints and your back.
Get The Right Office Setup
The way that you set up your workspace and the furniture that you choose makes a huge difference. If you are using an old chair that doesn’t offer much support, the pain you feel in your legs will be much worse. When you are setting up your home office, it’s important that you invest in high-quality ergonomic office furniture. Consider the position of your desk too because if you are hunched forward and the desk is too low, your legs will be in a less stable position and the muscles will get much tighter. If you are particularly concerned about leg pain, you should try a standing desk. These are much better for you because you are in a more active position and your muscles are engaged at all times. However, be aware that standing all day in the same position can still cause leg pain because you are still in a static position. So, you still need to take breaks to move around. If you have an adjustable desk, you can switch between sitting and standing.
Consult Your Doctor
Often, leg pain is caused by sitting for too long while working. However, there are other potential causes and it could be a symptom of a wider health issue. So, if you have tried making the other changes we have already discussed and it still doesn’t make a difference, you should consult your doctor. In many cases, they won’t find anything wrong and you will just have to keep up with your stretches. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, so get yourself checked if you are concerned.
Leg pain is very common, especially in people that work from home. But you can avoid it if you follow these simple steps.