Believe it or not, everyday activities such as watching series, sitting at work, or even sleeping can cause muscle injuries.

If you don’t believe it, let’s take a look at 4 very ordinary activities that can lead to muscle injuries.

1. Sitting at work

We dedicate more than half of our lives to work, making our working posture one of the most frequently used positions in our daily lives. Poor sitting posture can lead to troublesome health issues, especially Office Syndrome. Despite its name, Office Syndrome is not limited to office workers—it can also affect those who work from home on weekends or freelancers who spend long hours in cafés.

Office Syndrome can cause chronic muscle pain and even numbness in the hands. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to prevent. Start with your chair: sit with your hips fully back against the chair so your back is well supported by the backrest. Adjust the chair height so your knees are lower than your hips, and set your screen at eye level to prevent excessive neck bending or tilting. Most importantly, remember to get up and change posture regularly whether standing in place or walking around. Even with perfect posture, staying in the same position for too long can still lead to problems.

2. Exercising

Nowadays, more people are paying attention to their health. Easy-to-do exercises such as swimming, running, weight training, and yoga have become increasingly popular. However, exercising without proper understanding can also be harmful. Popular sports with a high risk of injury, such as running, require careful attention to details. For example, if you run for fitness, taking shorter strides can help reduce the risk of bone injuries. Try to keep both legs parallel while running to prevent knee and ligament injuries caused by improper weight distribution.

No matter what sport you choose, one essential practice is stretching both before and after exercise to properly prepare and relax the muscles and effectively prevent injuries.

3. Watching series on the bed

Have you ever watched a series while lying in bed, propping your neck with a pillow and placing a laptop on your stomach? Without realizing it, hours pass. This posture is a major cause of neck, shoulder, and back pain. When we become absorbed in a movie or series, we often lose awareness of discomfort that would normally prompt us to shift or move. As a result, we stay in the same position even longer.

Beds are not ideal spaces for using computers. If unavoidable, at least try to sit upright with cushions supporting your back. Use a small table or a large pillow to position the laptop at or slightly below eye level, and place pillows under your arms so your shoulders and wrists don’t have to work too hard. Even in a comfortable lying position while enjoying a series, remember that your body is working harder than you think.

4. Sleeping posture

On average, we spend about 8 hours a day sleeping. This means our sleeping posture affects our physical and muscular health for one-third of the day. Although we are unconscious while sleeping, we can still avoid poor sleeping positions before drifting off an important aspect of maintaining good health.

One posture that is strongly discouraged is sleeping on your stomach. Not only does it compress the chest and make breathing difficult, but it also forces the head to turn to one side throughout the night, which is very harmful to the neck muscles. A better sleeping position is lying on your side with a pillow placed between your knees, which helps keep the lower back, pelvis, and spine properly aligned.