An office job often requires employees to sit for long hours in front of their desks. From 9 to 5, they rarely stand up or walk from their sitting positions because they are hyperfocused to finish their tasks for the day. Yes, they stand up to get water, go to the restroom, or eat lunch. But that’s about it. The majority of the day is spent sitting without any active movement, something essential to keep a healthy body.
Unfortunately, most of these employees don’t know how to sit properly. There’s a proper sitting posture that people could follow to reduce neck and back pain. Aside from physical health benefits, having a straight posture also helps a person be more confident.
What makes a posture good?
It’s described as a good posture when the parts of a person’s upper body are in correct alignment and are proportionally supported by an enough amount of muscle tension. When you have good posture, there will be less strain on your body when you’re moving and exercising. Your muscles, joints, and ligaments would be going through less wear and tear. It’s also easier for you to gain and maintain balance. It reduces the risk of straining your muscle and overusing certain parts. Lastly, it will improve your spine health.
So what then is the best position when sitting?
There’s really no one-size-fits-all sitting position. Of course, everybody is different so this would mean that the best sitting position is the one that works soundly with your height, the chair that you are using, and the nature of the activity you do when you sit.
You could improve your posture when you keep your feet flat on the floor or rest them on a footrest. Avoid crossing your knees even if you have the tendency to do that. You should be mindful of maintaining a gap between your knees’ back and the chair you are sitting on. Make sure that your knees are at the same height as your hips, or even slightly lower than it could be. Moreover, place your ankles in front of your knees and then relax the shoulders. Again, be mindful of your posture every now and then, and make sure you are keeping your forearms and knees parallel to the floor. Create an L-shape in the arms by holding your elbows with opposite hands. Look forward and make sure to straighten your back while the neck is relaxed. Keep your back against the chair but if there are some areas where your back does not meet the chair, you can always take a pillow and use it as a cushion—more especially if you feel the pain in the lower back region. Lastly, the best cure is to avoid prolonged sitting. Schedule standing time by at least standing up every 10 minutes.
How to Sit Properly When Working on a Computer
Since there is a computer in front of you, you need to know the proper sitting posture when using one. You would need to take extra caution and be mindful with everything you do so that you could combat the health dangers posed by excessive sitting in the long run. Here are some tips so that you could have proper sitting posture while working on your computer:
1. You should be able to reach for the monitor with your arm. The height of the monitor shouldn’t be more than two inches above your natural line of sight.
2. To help aid with maintaining a proper sitting posture, customize the workstation according to your needs and make sure it is ergonomic. For instance, you may add footrests, backrests, or wrist pads.
3. Check out a standing desk available in the market. FlexiSpot is a go-to site among people who have shifted from using a regular desk to a standing desk at the moment.
This workspace is ergonomic, highly customizable, and is regarded as healthy for your body. It will ensure that you safely shift from standing to sitting and vice versa.
4. Use an ergonomic gaming chair or a yoga ball. All these can easily be found in your local sports store. You don’t have to look far and wide for the gaming chair because FleixSpot also has ergonomic chairs that have adjustable backrests which would support your neck and back. They also have cushioned seats which assures a premium sitting experience.
5. There are many types of keyboards and mouses that you could use with your monitor. Make sure to explore the options until you find the right fit. They should also be placed alongside each other so you wouldn’t have to reach for one or the other while working.
6. Prevent neck strain by making use of a headset or earphones so that you wouldn’t have to lean forward or be in an uncomfortable position just to be heard by your conference meeting mates and/or for them to hear you.
7. And as mentioned above, schedule your sitting and standing times throughout the day. Get moving so that you can stretch your body and avoid any muscle tension. There are FlexiSpot standing desks that come with an advanced control panel where you could set a sit-stand reminder so that when doing focused work, you would be reminded that you need to sit or stand.
Every time you get the most comfortable position for your body, check on yourself every 10 to 15 minutes if something has changed with your posture and adjust accordingly.
Final Thoughts
You can’t fix your posture in just one day. It takes time, mindfulness, and your commitment to making sure that you have the proper posture while you’re working. Significant health benefits won’t also automatically surface. You may only experience the changes after weeks and months.
The next step after nailing the correct posture is to maintain it. This is why it’s important that you regularly check on yourself so that you are fully aware of the correct and healthy position that you should be sitting in.
