Aches and pains are often the main complaints we have when we come home from a long week at work. Unfortunately if we do not take care to ensure that we always maintain a good posture, or follow health and safety rules laid out by our employers, we place ourselves at risk of sustaining some kind of injury or ailment.
Knee pain at work can affect employees in all different kinds of industries and job roles – from those working in sedentary positions to those who spend most of their time in blue collar environments. Regardless of the specifics of your job role, there are several tips and tricks that can be taken into consideration in order to prevent your risk of suffering from knee pain at work. The very last thing you want to wind up doing in 2019 is to enter a legal battle with your employer for workers compensation. Do what you can to avoid that situation.
Straighten Out Your Legs Every Now and Then
If you are sitting couped up at your desk all day, of course you are going to experience some discomfort. Knee pain is just one of the risks that you face as a consequence.Tall people could find sedentary roles particularly problematic for their health as their job means that their legs are unnaturally scrunched up together. To combat this, simply push your chair away from your desk every now and then and stretch out your legs.
Wear Sensible Shoes
This is something that is particularly appropriate if you work in a role that requires you to walk around or stand a lot. You may not associate good footwear with the wellbeing of your knees but by wearing well-fitting, comfortable shoes you ensure that you maintain the correct leg alignment and balance, therefore reducing your chances of experiencing knee injuries and problems.
Do Leg Lifts While at Your Desk
If you are already suffering from some amount of knee pain, doing leg lifts while seated is an effective way to iron out the pain and discomfort. To do this exercise is very simple. All you need to do is to push your chair backwards away from your desk. From there, do some straight leg lifts and move your legs up and down. In doing this, you are strengthening up your quadriceps (the muscles that support your knees). For extra impact, incorporate a weight into these exercises. In the office environment, this could be anything – a heavy bag, a large water bottle, etc.
Get Up and Walk Around if Working in Sedentary Roles
No-one can argue with the value of getting up from your desk every now and then. You definitely should be taking regular breaks to get up and walk around while at work. This is not only good for your body physically, but it also enables you to take your mind away from work for a while and come back refreshed. If you are already suffering from knee pain or some other form of joint problem, sitting for extended periods can be excruciating. In addition to regular strolls to and from the water cooler, you could also consider standing up with a headset in to take phone calls, rather than sitting.
Do Balancing Exercises
Experts believe that balancing exercises can be very good for stabilizing the knees. As a consequence, this both prevents the occurrence of knee pain, and reduces it in situations where someone is already suffering. Balancing exercises can be incorporated into your office routine relatively easily. While waiting for something to print, photocopying something, or while making a cup of coffee, simply stand on one leg for a while and then alternate to the other.
If Something Hurts Your Knees, Stop it
It sounds like common sense that if something is hurting us in some way, shape or form, it is something that should be stopped. Sometimes though, it is difficult to continue with that notion when we are at work. For example, perhaps you sustained an injury while running or playing sports over the weekend and your knees hurt when you bend them. At the same time though, you are helping out in the warehouse and need to move a bunch of heavy boxes from A to B so you don’t want to fail your boss. Remember that your health is the most important thing at all and if you neglect it now, you will no doubt experience negative consequences as a result in the future.
Maintain Good Posture
Like many injuries, knee pain can be caused as a result of poor posture in the workplace. Sitting scrunched up or hunched over your desk can have a negative impact on your entire body – including your knees. The correct way to sit is by ensuring that your back is straight, your shoulders are back and your feet are placed firmly on the floor. It can be difficult to keep this up throughout the day. Even the best of us slouch occasionally. Just make a mental note to correct yourself every time you catch yourself slouching.
Knee pain does not have to be an unfortunate side effect of your job that you just accept. Through incorporating the above techniques into your daily routine, it can be avoided in its entirety.