By Brittany Wonnell, RD
It can be easy to learn ergonomic habits like sitting straight in your chair, pushing heavy carts instead of pulling and using your legs—not your back—when lifting heavy objects. But keeping up with these safe practices throughout the day can be difficult to remember. Almost all of us try to start our workdays by sitting straight in our chairs, but we often find ourselves slumped over around 10 am or 2:30 pm due to mid-morning and mid-afternoon contortions.
To increase your safety and decrease your chance of slouching, try doing these ergonomic exercises throughout the day to keep your mind fresh and blood pumping:
- Take a walk. Nothing revamps your mind and stretches out your body more than a morning or afternoon walk.
- Drink cold water. Drinking cold water can help awaken your mind and keep you hydrated, which can decrease drowsiness.
- Stretch it out. Using resources from the National Institutes of Health Office Management website can help you practice different ergonomic stretches at your workplace.