Time for an office space makeover — and your body will thank you.
With more and more people returning to the office, we may want to give our cubicles and desk spaces a second look, as they could be destroying our well-being.
However, swapping a few key items could bring a host of long-term health benefits for your muscles, energy, focus — and more.
How our workspaces are designed can spell the difference between healthy, productive living and a plethora of career-ending injuries, according to board-certified ergonomist and Global Vice President of Humanscale Consulting, Jonathan Puleio.
“The cumulative effect of working in awkward postures over sustained periods of time can result in the development of debilitating musculoskeletal injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and various low back disorders,” Puleio told The Post. “Workers are occasionally forced into retirement because of their injuries.”
And the benefits of an ergonomically-friendly office space don’t just affect employees, but also extend to employers.
“The long-term cost of poor ergonomics far exceeds the upfront cost of proper design,” he added. “Organizations benefit from reduced churn, reduced injury claims and associated costs, fewer lost workdays, increased employee engagement and increased worker output.”
Puleio shared his top office swaps — from desks to lighting — for reduced fatigue, sharpened focus, improved efficiency, increased energy levels and more.
An ergonomically designed task chair
Those sleek and slender mesh-backed chairs offer more than just a stylish upgrade to your space — they also bring about some much-needed long-term comfort without any unnecessary additional designs.
Research from Cornell shows that many of us don’t fully understand how our office chairs work, with less than 15% of users correctly identifying the controls.
The study also found that those who sat in chairs with fewer than three controls had significantly less frequent musculoskeletal discomfort compared to chairs with four or more levers.
“It’s a misconception that chairs with an abundance of knobs and levers are preferred,” Puleio said. “Chairs equipped with self-adjusting recline mechanisms are designed to promote movement without the need for manual adjustment.”
A sit/stand desk
It’s no secret that sitting for too long is bad for your health, as being sedentary brings about several risks like heart disease, weight gain, depression and diabetes.
And while standing desks don’t completely offset cardiovascular issues, adding even a bit more movement to your day could bring big benefits.
“Standing for 15 minutes per hour throughout a workday measurably improves health outcomes and burns an additional 340 calories per day,” said Puleio.
A task light
Not only do fluorescents look ugly, but they also mess with your eyesight. And this only gets worse as we get older, according to Puleio.
“Our visual system changes dramatically in our mid to late 40s,” he said. “The corneal lens hardens and our ciliary muscles atrophy, which impacts our ability to focus on near field objects. By the time we reach our early 60s, we require more than 250% more contrast than we did in our 20s.”
The solution? A controllable task light to provide better illumination over your work surface and improve visual comfort.
A flat panel monitor arm
It’s not just lighting: Staring at a screen for too long can also mess with your eyes.
Up to 65% of Americans experience digital eyestrain, citing symptoms of stiff necks, fatigue, headache and even backache.
Puleio suggests a monitor arm, or an adjustable mount attached to your desk that provides several improvements to ergonomic health and more.
“These devices allow you to adjust the height, depth, and angle of your monitor for optimal viewing comfort,” he said. “An added benefit is that they free up valuable work surface area below the monitor.”
An external monitor and input devices
If you primarily work on a laptop, an external monitor is strongly recommended to put the screen at a better position for long-term work.
“Laptop monitors are positioned too low for most, and they have significantly less viewable area,” Puelio explained. “External monitors can be adjusted and are more comfortable to view, especially over prolonged periods of time.”
You should also consider adding separate input devices like a mouse and keyboard to your desktop.
“Compact keyboards that omit the numeric keypad reduce reach distances for the mouse,” he said. “Mice that support the palm prevent wrist anchoring and help maintain straight wrists.”
