For anyone tied to a desk all week, it can be easy to neglect the stresses that your work space can cause on your body. You sit at your computer for hours on end, often only taking a break to use the loo, make a coffee or photocopy your bum, if you're so inclined.
It can be the same when you're relaxing with your laptop in a café, probably paying even less attention to how you're sitting and the shape of your body.
The good people at Central Manchester Osteopathy & Sports Therapy deal with many folk who are suffering with aches and pains brought on by a working environment and practice which isn't doing them any favours.
So here are their top three tips for office workers who want to go home with a stress-free body of a weekend.
1: Keyboards
Make sure that your keyboard is close to you. Ideally, you should be able to keep your elbows at a 90 degree angle. It's tempting to have other things that you need like papers and notepads etc in front of the keyboard, but this will force you to push the keyboard further away, so you end up leaning forward again, which is not good for you.
2: Monitor
Where is the best place to have your monitor? Keeping your back in contact with your chair, you should be able to extend your arms and touch it with the tip of your fingers. Sometimes your eyesight may be the problem forcing you to keep your screen to close or too far, so an eye test may be a good idea. The monitor should also be at a height which means you don;t have to bend your neck down to see it.
3: Posture
Generally, it's best to be sitting upright, with your back contacting the back of your chair. However, the more you get out of the chair, the better. Posture isn't something which should be rigid and getting out of the chair every 20 minutes or so is a good idea. Consider answering your phone standing, or have a quick stretch. Walk over to a colleague instead of emailing them - it'll do you good and perhaps them as well. Maybe you'll fit in a little flirt. Maybe then you'll arrange a time to meet for a coffee break. And then maybe you'll fall in love. That's not going to happen over an email is it? And all because of your posture!
Now that's a result, unless it ends in heartache. But they've probably got something to help with that, too.
Read more about good posture in the workplace.