Neighbor News
Health tips if you're working from home due to COVID-19
If you're not used to remote work, you may find you need to take some time to take care of yourself. Here are some simple tips.
With Governor Murphy's stay-at-home order in place, many of us find that we are working from home for the first time. While there are certainly advantages to working from home - the commute is certainly more tolerable - if you don't have a normal workstation, you might need to take some extra time to take care of your body.
If you do a lot of work on your laptop, you will find it beneficial to stretch your wrists on a regular basis. This article we published earlier on Patch gives you five simple wrist stretches. Do these stretches during short, frequent breaks throughout the day to minimize the opportunity for repetitive stress injuries to your hands and wrist.
It includes the high-low wrist stretch:
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- Holding your arms at your sides, bend your arms to 90 degrees.
- Start with your palms facing down.
- Bend your wrists downwards and hold for five seconds.
- Now, bend your wrists upward and hold for five seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
If you work in an typical office environment, you probably have an ergonomically friendly chair and desk, but that may not reflect your impromptu home setup. That can easily lead to tightness or soreness in your back. No worries, we also published an article here on Patchwith five easy stretches for your back. Just like the wrist stretches, during these during short, frequent breaks throughout the day can help you avoid a sore or stiff back.
These include the Chair squat:
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- Place a chair in front of you and rest your hands on the back of it, leaving 12 to 18 inches between you and the chair.
- With your feet shoulder-width apart, squat as low as comfortable, keeping your knees behind your toes.
- Return to standing.
- Repeat 10 times.
Once you get in the habit of incorporating these stretches into your daily workday routine, you'll want to continue with them when you return to your regular office setting. Your body will thank you for it.
To get the latest information on how Virtua Health is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, check out the resource hub on our website. You'll find news, ways to access information and care, and more articles with tips for coping with these unusual times.