Recently, I conducted a small survey among friends and acquaintances about how they rate their productivity while working remotely. Almost everyone I know is currently working from home using a computer and phone. Interestingly, even those who used to travel to different cities and countries to meet clients are now working quite successfully from home with no less efficiency (though, of course, this isn’t possible in all fields). Another interesting observation is that people are now working more. Even in my own experience, I find myself spending significantly more hours in front of the computer than before. We’ll discuss the reasons for this another time, but today, let’s talk about the consequences this has on the body. Constant computer work can lead to many problems, but these can be easily managed by following simple rules and doing some very simple exercises.

Why Sitting at the Computer for Long Periods is Harmful

Harm to the Eyes

Screen flickering and slight text vibration while scrolling significantly strain the eye muscles and gradually reduce visual acuity. You may not notice it, but while working at the computer, the blink rate decreases by about three times, which naturally leads to the drying of the tear film and causes “dry eye” syndrome.

“Dry eye” syndrome is a condition that most often occurs in people who work at the computer regularly. Symptoms include fatigue, increased light sensitivity, blurred vision, a feeling of grit in the eyes accompanied by burning, redness, and eye irritation.

Drying of the tear film reduces visual acuity by approximately 0.5 diopters. To avoid this, it is necessary to use special eye drops and avoid staying at the computer for more than 40 minutes at a time, according to medical experts.

Eye Exercises

• Close your eyes, keeping the eyelids relaxed. Then, with effort, move your gaze to the far left point (with closed eyelids). Hold for 2-3 seconds, then shift to the far right point. Repeat 10 times. The eyelids should remain relaxed. This exercise relaxes and strengthens the eye muscles, relieving eye strain.
• Blink rapidly for 1-2 minutes.
• Close one eye tightly, then the other, alternating for 4-5 seconds each.
• Squeeze your eyes shut tightly several times for 8-10 seconds.
• Exercise “square”: look left, right, up, and down to the limit, holding each position for 10 seconds.
• Rub your palms together to warm them, then gently cover your eyes with them without applying pressure. In this exercise, it’s important that your eyes are at rest and in darkness. Keep your eyes closed in this position for a couple of minutes.
• Focus on a point at the tip of your nose, then look at the farthest object you can see. Repeat this exercise 8-10 times.

Harm to the Spine

Sitting for long periods while working on the computer constantly strains certain back muscles while others remain completely unengaged. The lack of activity leads to muscle degradation, and since metabolic processes in the spine depend on these muscles, they also become disrupted, leading to osteochondrosis.

Osteochondrosis is the degeneration (destruction) of intervertebral discs.

Additionally, prolonged sitting increases the load on the intervertebral discs, which can cause a hernia, leading to pain in the limbs, internal organs, or headaches. This can be even more dangerous for children since their spine is not fully developed. If a child sits for long periods, make sure to monitor their posture to prevent spinal curvature (scoliosis).

Spine Exercises

• Stand up from your desk, spread your legs slightly apart. Raise your arms upward and stretch to the maximum while standing on your toes for 5-7 seconds. Then lower your arms and relax. Repeat the exercise several times.
• Raise your shoulders as high as possible, then slowly move them backward. Hold for 2-3 seconds and move them forward as far as you can. Repeat at least 10 times.
• Place your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms to the sides. Turn fully to the left, then to the right, performing the “twisting” exercise. Repeat 15-20 times.

Harm to the Hands (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)

You’ve probably heard about carpal tunnel syndrome. During prolonged work with a keyboard or mouse, hands can begin to ache, and fingers may swell or go numb. This is because repetitive movements of the hands and fingers can cause frequent microtraumas to the neurovascular bundle and surrounding tissues, compressing nerve endings. Since only certain muscles are active when working at a computer, they hypertrophy and press on the nerve. This disrupts circulation within the nerve, causing pain. The simplest way to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome is to take at least a 10-minute break every hour and stretch your fingers and hands.

Hand Exercises

• Stretch your arms out in front of you, palms facing away. Tighten your palms and wrists, and quickly curl one finger after another, starting with the pinky. When you form fists, turn them to face each other, only moving your wrists. Then unclench your fists, relax, and shake your hands. Repeat several times.
• Stand up, drop your arms along your body, take a deep breath, and shake your hands for 10-15 seconds as you exhale. Repeat the exercise 4-5 times.
• Interlace the fingers of both hands into a “lock,” extend your arms forward, and turn your palms outward. Hold for 5-7 seconds, then, without unlocking, bring your fingers closer to your chest with slight pressure (so that the fingers bend slightly) and hold for another 5-7 seconds. Repeat several times, then relax your hands and shake them.
• Extend your arms forward and spread your fingers as wide as possible. Tighten your hands for 5-7 seconds, then squeeze your fingers into fists just as tightly for another 5-7 seconds. Afterward, relax your hands and shake them to release tension. Repeat several times.

Other Harmful Effects of Sitting Work

The negative effects of sitting work do not end with the hands, eyes, and spine. Doctors also note a decline in overall physical condition and a disruption in the coordination of the musculoskeletal system. Resistance to overheating or hypothermia decreases. People with a sedentary lifestyle may experience apathy, forgetfulness, memory impairment, loss of muscle strength, and insomnia. Prolonged sitting creates a heat effect between the chair and the pelvic area, leading to blood stagnation and negatively impacting the urogenital system. Another aspect is the mental impact of constant computer interaction, especially noticeable in preschool and young children. Pay attention to their irritability after sitting at the computer or playing outside, and you’ll understand.

Of course, computers are indispensable today. We spend and earn, socialize, argue, entertain ourselves, buy tickets, or simply kill time using them. The key is not to forget that a computer can always be replaced with a new one, but such replacements often don’t work with health. Take care of yourself, follow basic rules, and stay healthy!