Recommendations for Watching TV in Bed

Watching television is an activity many people practice daily, for long periods of time. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses of Costa Rica, 92.4% of the country’s inhabitants watch television 5 and / or 6 days a week. In other words, this is a recurring practice for a long time, and that is why you must be very careful with it. If you watch television in the wrong position in bed, you can cause yourself an injury that can cause a lot of pain later on. This is why at NeuroFT we want to give you the following recommendations so that you can continue to enjoy this activity, without causing yourself any harm!

Most of the mistakes that are made cause stress in the lower back and the neck area. Causing back pain and neck pain, among others. The most common mistake is not having support in the lower back or neck. For example, when you sit up but have a hunched back and leave a gap between the wall and your lower back, it causes stress on your lower back. Or also when you lie down completely but only keep your back slightly elevated, without any support to help support, this can hurt you too.

• Correct Posture: the main recommendation is to maintain a correct posture. We suggest an upright posture, where the trunk of the body is straight and never bends. This would be avoiding being totally lying on the bed. This way, the vertical column will not be forced. It is also recommended to place a pillow under the knees, to further decrease the pressure on the lumbar area.
• Use Elements: as we mentioned in the previous point, you can use pillows or bandage elements to help you have a better posture when lying in bed. They sell special pillows, articulated beds, or memory foam mattresses, among others. The easiest thing you always have on hand are pillows, so take advantage of them and help yourself to watch TV better.

• Location of the TV: the recommendation is to put it a little higher than the bed, so that you do not have to sit down to have to watch television. If you lift it higher, it is likely that you will have to sit down and thus you are more prone to an incorrect position. If you mount the television on the wall in a higher position, be sure to try to see it lying down, so you do not strain your neck.
• Pause, stretch and take a walk: After a long time of watching TV, we suggest that you get up and stretch. You can do basic stretches, such as touching your toes while standing, stretching your arms, slowly turning your head to mobilize your neck, etc. Thus the muscles are stretched and blood flows better, and tension is not caused in a single part of the body for a long time.

Because watching TV is such a common activity around the world, this can be a common cause of pain or injury that can be easily avoided. For this reason, we hope that you can follow the recommendations when watching TV and that you pass them on to your acquaintances. Let’s help each other enjoy healthily!