As we roll into month 9 of battling this pandemic, recent lockdowns have us working and learning from home for the unforeseeable future. We’ve learned to adapt by connecting with friends, colleagues, and families via a computer camera.
Working and learning at home comes with its own unique set of problems. For example, if you live in a house where everyone in your family is working from home/taking classes online, you’re most likely stuck in different corners of the house to avoid disturbing the other members of your family as well as to give yourself the space to work efficiently. However, this can also cause problems because you’re cooped up inside one room all day with little to no mobility. Another possible scenario is being stuck by yourself in a small apartment. Again, even though you have more space to move around, you’re isolated and have little to no contact with the outside world; which can cause you to feel more run-down and lethargic.
These scenarios depict a large portion of the people that are currently living with this pandemic. If you’re the type of person that works long hours and rarely takes a break to walk around the house for 5 minutes and get a snack (or even better, take a daily walk outside), here are some products, from Amazon, to keep you active and productive while you’re stuck working from home:
Standing desk
A long-time cult favorite, the standing desk first became popular almost 2 years ago as being the desk that would allow office workers to have more mobility while being stuck at their desks. However, it’s also a great home office desk upgrade to make since most people are having trouble moving around while working from home. Standing desks are adjustable, that way you don’t have to remain standing throughout the day, but can stand when you need a break from sitting and vice versa.
Research has shown that people that sit too much have an increased risk of weight gain as well as many other chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Using a standing desk can help to reduce these risks by allowing for better blood circulation as well as eliminating a primarily sedentary lifestyle associated with sitting at your desk for too long.
Standing desks can also help with posture. Whilst sitting at your desk, if you use a laptop, you’re most likely hunched over while working; or if you use a desktop computer, it’s height might be over your eye line and cause you to have to strain your neck and back. Standing desks often allow for the device that you’re using to be adjusted to your eye line and therefore promote better posture!
Stationary bike desk
If you want to take it one step further and get the ultimate home office desk upgrade, consider this stationary bike desk! It is a normal stationary bike, however, instead of handles, it had a desk! This is such a cool and great upgrade to make because like any regular stationary bike, it has different resistance settings so you’re getting a great workout in while just doing your regular office/school work! Not to mention, it has wheels (that can be locked) so that you can move it to different places around your house like a different room, your backyard, or the balcony and still do your work and get in a workout!
Just like the standing desk the stationary bike desk has many health benefits associated with it but just takes it one step further by allowing you to get some physical exercise while doing work on your laptop.
Elevated laptop stand
As we discussed earlier, the standing desk is a great investment to make that helps you with your posture, sometimes it’s a bit out of some people’s price range. So, instead of making it so that your desk comes to eye level, make it so that your computer comes to eye level. A laptop stand is a great investment and they come in all different colors, sizes, and materials, that way you can match it to the aesthetic of your room.
The reason that you should invest in a laptop stand is because when you’re working on your laptop, while it’s on your desk, it is most likely at a lower level than your eye line therefore causing you to have to hunch over or bend your neck to view your laptop screen. This can cause poor posture and can lead to back aches and even neck problems. A laptop stand can help to raise your laptop to a more appropriate eye level and allow you to work comfortably while promoting great posture and relieving you of your neck and back aches.
Yoga ball
This one might seem different but it’s relatively low cost but with high rewards! If you’re tired of continuing to sit in your chair all day, invest in a yoga ball. Make sure that the yoga ball is big enough so that you can reach your desk. But using a yoga ball instead of a chair actually provides you with a good workout and is much more fun and creates less pressure for your back and bottom. A yoga ball is actually a great way to increase your core strength and to promote good posture as well. Plus, it’s really fun to just bounce around on a ball for a while while getting your work done!
Seat cushion
If you were not a fan of the yoga ball idea, a seat cushion is another alternative if you’re experiencing back aches while sitting in your chair. It molds to the shape of your chair and bottom to help provide a really relaxing and comfortable experience.
Seat cushions can also help to promote posture by allowing you to sit up straighter to relieve the pressure from your lower back and bottom. It can also help to improve circulation, digestion, and energy! When sitting on your regular chair, without the seat cushion, you might find yourself slouching. This can often affect your mood and make you feel more lethargic! However, with the seat cushion, you’re forced to sit up straighter which can help to increase your energy and mood.
Active footrest
This product may seem like an unnecessary investment upon first glance, however, when you look into how much time you spend sitting at your desk with little to no activity, this footrest could be the answer! A footrest can help to increase the circulation in your body by allowing you to elevate your feet and then set them back on the ground again. This can help tremendously when you’re constantly stuck at your desk! Plus the way it sways and rocks can help people that constantly fidget with their legs while sitting or standing!
Also, using a footrest to elevate your feet can also help with posture. Because you’re elevating your feet, it forces the rest of your body to straighten and sit upright instead of slouching!
