With the 2020-2021 school year shaping up to be, quite possibly, one of the most unique and challenging years ever, many of our patients with kids enrolled in virtual learning have been looking for tips on a good home setup. But with much of the setup focusing on creating exciting and fun spaces that mimic the classroom, I want to make sure that we all remember that we also need to monitor how our kids are doing, physically, with the increase in screen time that is going to come along with virtual learning.
Let’s stop and think for a minute as to why we should be focusing on virtual learning setups from a physical point of view. With virtual learning, the entire school day is going to be spent seated at a computer screen. But during a normal school day, our kids switch classrooms, have gym class, and have other breaks that serve to keep our kids moving around. Think about how you, yourself, react when you spend too much time at your work desk on your computer, laptop, or phone. Think about the effects on your back and neck and how you feel at the end of your workday. With more sitting and less physical activity, kids will be more at risk for the same types of problems that you see in adult office workers, including back pain, shoulder pain, and “text neck” pain.
So I’ve come up with a video that details my top 3 virtual learning home setup tips from a physical therapist’s point of view:
Tip #1: Choosing The Right Chair
Tip #2: A Word About Computer Screens
Tip #3: Managing Increased Screen Time
These are the exact same tips that I’ve given for the last 19+ years as a physical therapist that has helped countless adult office desk workers prevent pain before it even starts. And, especially with children, preventing pain before it starts will be key, as the decisions we make now can have a lasting impact on them, physically, as they get older.
For more in-depth help, or if pain problems have already started, make a physical therapy appointment now in the Elizabeth or Jersey City clinics. Our specialists are ready to get rid of pain fast and arm you with helpful guidance to make sure that pain doesn’t come back again!
Dr. James Pumarada is a licensed Physical Therapist and co-owner of Complete Physical Rehabilitation. With over 19+ years of treatment experience, he is a Sports Therapy Certified physical therapist, focusing on treating and training runners of all levels, and is one of the most sought after vestibular therapy specialists in Elizabeth and Jersey City where, along with his wife, Dr. Asha, they specialize in the treatment of all dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance issues.