HSL urges office workers to exercise

Posted by Alex Turner

Contractors who work in an office environment should ensure they remain active throughout the working day to prevent repetitive strain injuries which could see them miss out on jobs.

A Danish study of office workers who suffered from neck and back complaints revealed that volunteers reported reduced pain levels after taking part in a simple strength training programme.

Simple activities like getting up from seats and moving around at regular intervals could help prevent the injuries, according to the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL).

Matt Birtles, an ergonomist at the HSL, said: "It's hard to imagine our colleagues all doing star jumps next to their desks but simply keeping active, getting up from the seat regularly and moving about does help.

"We can get up more if we talk face to face with colleagues who share the office instead of sending an email or making a phone call or altering the way we deal with rubbish."

He added that simple everyday movements like using a mouse or bending at the neck to block out glare on computer screens could lead to injury over a sustained time period.

The Danish study was published in this month's Journal of Applied Physiology.