With more and more people working from home, taking care of your health is as important as ever. On average, 1 in 4 adults struggle with knee pain, and with remote work becoming more popular that number is trending up.
So how is working from home causing more knee pain? A huge contributing factor is inactivity. Did you know that inactivity is actually hard on your knees? It can lead to weakened knees, increased risk of arthritis, and increased the risk for osteoporosis.
Luckily there are some simple, easy things you can implement to stay active, even while working from home (or from your work desk!) No matter where you spend your 8-5, you can start on these quick tips to make sure you prevent knee pain in the future.
Light Stretches
The best and easiest way to ensure your knees aren’t inactive is to, well, be active! You can do some light stretching throughout the day to relax your muscles and ease your tension. You can also do some strengthening leg exercises such as knee lifts, calf raises, and knee curls. See below for a more thorough explanation:
Knee Lifts: Stand straight and lift your left knee to hip height, lower your knee and repeat with the right knee. Alternate knees and continue for a few minutes.
Calf Raises: Stand straight and and push up on the balls of your feet until you’re almost on your tippy-toes, hold for 3 seconds then lower your feet all the way back down so they’re flat on the floor. Repeat.
Knee Curls: Stand straight, bend your left leg back and hold your foot with your left hand, you’ll feel the stretch in your thighs. Lower your left and repeat with the other side.
Better Work Chair
Sitting for long periods of time can cause stress on your knees, especially the cartilage surface. The more your knee is constricted, the more stiffness and soreness you’re exposing yourself to. Luckily, an easy way to bypass this is to make sure you have a good work chair. You’ll need to look for one that has an adjustable height and that’ll allow you to move or flex your knee more often. Also look for a chair that will give you better posture.
Take A Break
The easiest solution to ensure you’re moving about is to take intentional breaks throughout your day. Set a time every hour and stand and walk around for a bit. It doesn’t have to be a long break, a minute at most will create a big difference in your overall routine. Taking this simple measure will not only make a difference when it comes to your knees, but on your overall health.
See Your Physical Therapist If Pain Persists
Even though we can make all the correct changes on our own, sometimes our knee pain will continue to bother us. Or you could have been taking all the preventative measures and still end up with pain. Don’t allow yourself to be discouraged or try to fix the problem on your own! Make sure to give us a call and schedule an appointment to see what’s going on. Call today to schedule your appointment 360-456-1444
