How to avoid back pain when working from home

Back pain and working from home can go hand in hand. When setting up a home office, thinking about posture isn’t always the number one priority. I know when I first started working from home, I was much more concerned about how my desk looked rather than its practical function.

Fast forward a few months and I had TERRIBLE back pain. I would finish each day in agony, which was making me increasingly miserable. 

My mum had been telling me for ages that my office set-up was causing my pain. She should know. She’s lived with chronic back and neck pain for most of my life. Don’t you hate it when parents are right?!

So, I set about overhauling my office space and, I have to admit, my pain eased pretty quickly. Thankfully, I haven’t had the same level of agony since.

The changes were simple enough, but they have made a HUGE difference to my remote working life. Find out more about how I fixed my back pain below.

Invest in an ergonomic chair

Having the right chair is probably the single most important thing you can do to protect your back. You spend the vast majority of the day sitting at your desk, so you have to make sure your chair is serving you. 

There are so many ergonomic chairs out there and some of them are seriously expensive. It’s a bit of a minefield. 

I personally LOVE my kneeling chair. While they can take a little time to get used to, kneeling chairs are designed to distribute the body’s weight more evenly, therefore reducing lower back pain.

(DISCLAIMER: definitely don’t get a kneeling chair if you have knee trouble. That really wouldn’t be a good idea)

Whatever type of chair you go for, here are the things you should look out for:

• Seat height: you need to be able to adjust the height of the chair
• Adjustable arms: chair arms that don’t fit under your desk are incredible uncomfortable and can affect your posture
• Cushioning: I once had a plastic desk chair with zero cushioning and it was the worst thing ever. Definitely get plenty of padding for your booty!
• Lumbar support: if you decide against a kneeling chair, make sure you get a chair with adjustable lumbar support to protect your lower back

Get a laptop riser

It’s not enough to have your seat at the right height. Your laptop has to be at the right height too if you’re to avoid back pain.

To do this, you need to invest in a laptop riser. I personally use this one by Standivarius. It’s super light and sleek and has different height options to help you get the perfect set-up.

Set it up so that the top of your laptop is in line with your eyes. Then get a wireless keyboard and mouse to make sure your arms are at a right angle when you’re typing, and you’re all set! 

Stretch it out

Taking regular breaks away from your desk not only helps you refocus if you’re getting bogged down with work, but it also stops your back from getting too stiff. Using your breaks to get moving and stretch your back out will make you feel so much more comfortable when you get back to your desk. 

You don’t have to do a full-on stretch routine. Spending just 5 minutes doing a couple of moves is enough to provide you with some relief. This routine from Yoga with Adriene is a great go-to.