Top tips for protecting your back in the Australian workplace.

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You wouldn’t believe the number of Australians who are injured at work each year across the country. Even though everyone goes through the right kind of health and safety training, it seems like everyone forgets everything they were taught as soon as they walk out the door of the training room. If you work at a desk, you are especially susceptible to experiencing some type of back pain and due to the fact that you are sitting in the same chair at the same desk for up to 8 hours a day, This does not happen. A big surprise.

One thing you should make sure of before you even sit down at your desk is that ergonomic office chair It is specially designed to provide you back support during your working day. Back pain is one of the leading reasons many Australians take time off work and costs the Australian economy millions of dollars each year. With this in mind, the following are some top tips to help protect your back in your workplace.

  1. All you need to exercise your core – You can’t expect to have a strong back if you’re not doing the right kind of exercise to keep it in shape. There are many different types of exercises that will help protect your back and some of the more popular ones are planks and sit ups. If you need additional advice, talk to a trainer at your local gym or your physical therapist.
  2. Make sure the office is ergonomic – This includes getting the right type of chair that was mentioned earlier, but also making sure you have the right type of desk as well. If you are working on a keyboard all day, the height of your desk and chair should be in line with your keyboard. If you don’t feel right when you sit, you can be sure that something is wrong.
  3. Try to sit straight- This is easier said than done as many of us tend to rest in our chairs so our spine is not straight all the time. Good posture is essential and hence you should try not to slouch at your desk and keep your monitor at your eye level so that your posture improves significantly when you sit. It’s always a good idea to have a post-it reminding you to sit upright at your monitor.

Another great tip is to not sit at your desk for too long and remember to get up for a moment and walk around. Walk over to the coffee machine and pour yourself a cup of coffee and that should be enough time away from your desk to give your back a rest.