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Online exercise added to ergonomic advice for reducing habitual upper body postures: A randomized trial
Razieh Karimian1, Kim Burton2, Mohammad Mehdi Naghizadeh1
1Department of Public Health, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Fars, Iran.
Musculoskeletal Science & Practice
|May 28, 2024
Summary
Adding remedial exercise to ergonomic advice significantly improved upper body posture in male adolescents during online learning. This combined approach offers a beneficial solution for habitual poor posture beyond just remote education settings.
Area of Science:
- Ergonomics
- Public Health
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic is linked to poor upper body postures.
- Adolescent students frequently adopt unfavorable habitual postures due to remote learning setups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if adding remedial exercises to remote ergonomic advice can reduce neck, shoulder, and upper back habitual postures.
- To assess the effectiveness of a combined intervention for improving posture in adolescents.
Main Methods:
- A pragmatic randomized controlled trial was conducted with 42 male adolescent students.
- Participants were randomized into two groups: ergonomic advice alone or exercise plus ergonomic advice.
- Postural angles were measured using photogrammetry before and after an 8-week intervention.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed significant reductions in forward head, shoulder protraction, and thoracic kyphosis angles.
- The exercise plus ergonomic advice group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in all measured postural angles.
- Specific reductions in the combined group were approximately 9° (head), 6° (shoulder), and 5° (thoracic kyphosis).
Conclusions:
- A remedial online exercise routine is a valuable addition to ergonomic advice for improving habitual upper body postures.
- This combined intervention effectively addresses postural issues associated with online learning and may have broader benefits.
