7 Tips to attain Proper Sitting Posture at Computer
What’s The Proper Sitting Posture?
You are at a networking cocktail party, excited to meet new people, learn more about your field, and perhaps land a new employment opportunity. But, minutes into saying your hellos, one person mentions (in passing) that you need to work on your posture. You’ve never met this individual before, and from their tone, you assume that they are an anthropologist or something of the sort. And, for the rest of the evening, your posture is all you can think about. Sounds familiar? A little infuriating? Well, how about you take it positively and imagine that person having saved your life and career!
Why? Your posture says a lot about you, not just about your body’s support system, predisposition to muscle and joint pain, but also your confidence. With time, a poor posture creates muscle weaknesses and also imbalance that cause spasms. The imbalances will also put pressure on your neck, shoulders, and the lower back.
There are also studies which have shown that a poor sitting posture contributes to increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Not to mention the loss of flexibility, strength, and an increased susceptibility to injury.
A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind.
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So, How do you strike a champion’s pose, all the time?
First, good posture refers to your body’s upright position against the forces of gravity when you are standing, lying down or sitting. It’s a combination of muscle and mechanics: the combination of right movements/ alignment of the spine, hips, jaw, and neck, as well as the surrounding and supporting muscles.
While we are born with a good posture, occupational and lifestyle hazards sabotage our postures, and in some cases, we aren’t taught from an early age what a good sitting posture. Luckily for us, this piece is all about that, attaining a good sitting posture.
Attaining a good posture when sitting involves training your muscles so that there is little strain placed on your supporting ligaments and muscles when moving around, sitting, or when participating in weight-bearing activities. It’s also important to mention that your ideal posture is different from your friend’s or siblings thanks to variations in your body composition and your weight.
10 Reasons Why You Need a Good Posture
- It keeps the bones and the joints in a correct alignment ensuring that all your muscles and muscle groups work well.
- It reduces the wearing off of the joint surfaces abnormally, preventing arthritis.
- Good posture lessens the stress put on your ligaments that hold the joints of your spine in place, and it also prevents the abnormal fixing of the spine.
- With a good posture, you don’t get fatigued easily because you will be using all your muscles efficiently, and the body doesn’t have to overextend itself
- Good posture will prevent overuse or straining of the bod
- It prevents muscular pain and backaches
- A great posture will boost your mood; sitting or standing properly without placing any extra tension on your body means your muscles work in harmony, you are relaxed and happy. To top it all, a great posture increases your blood flow and improves circulation increasing your energy levels, and keeping your energy levels high. All these will boost your mood.
- It prevents injuries
- Other than the lowered risk of arthritis, a proper sitting posture gets rid of discomfort and pains like repetitive strain injuries, pinched nerves in your shoulders, carpal tunnel syndrome, and slouching.
Lastly, you need a good posture to look good!
So, how do you attain a healthy sitting posture?
To avoid a lifetime of problems associated with improper sitting posture, you need a correct sitting position. Here’s how:
- Sit at the end of your chair
- Roll your shoulders and pull your neck forward into a slouching position
- Slowly pull your shoulders and head into a tall sitting position.
- Push your lower back forward then accentuate your spine’s curves. Note that these movements will feel uncomfortable in the beginning but hold on to that position for a few seconds to condition your muscles and joints
- Now, release your sitting position very slightly then scoot back in the chair until your back lies against the chair, with hips in the bend of the chair. And, just like that, you are sitting with a good posture.
- You might also want to invest in a posture corrector.
Note: if you are sitting properly,
- The angle between your lower and upper body is between 90 and 100 degrees
- Both your feet touch the ground
- The angle at your knees is around 100 degrees.
- Also, keep in mind that when sitting, you need to expand your chest as much as possible. You can do that by pulling your head, shoulders, and neck back, then take a deep breath.
Proper Sitting Posture at a Computer in office or home.
While the exercise above helps in aligning your body so that you are sitting well, there are things you can do to improve and maintain a good posture in front of a computer in the office or home office.
1. Sitting with the screen at eye level
In your seated position, the computer screen must be placed directly in front of you. Next, extend your arms and then adjust the distance from the monitor until its arm’s length away.
Then, check the height of the monitor and adjust it, keeping in mind that the top of the screen shouldn’t be more than 2 inches above the eye level. If the screen is too high or low, it will place a strain on your neck. For the appropriate height of the monitor, use a monitor stand or stack books under the computer.
2. Properly position the keyboard
Your keyboard must always sit right in front of the computer. Just leave between 4 and 6 inches between the desk and the keyboard for your wrists to rest on. A padded wrist rest will help if yours is a tall keyboard that forces you to tilt your wrists awkwardly.
When your hands lie on the desk, your elbows should pinch your body at an angle of between 90 and 120 degrees.
3. Find a way to support your back
Training your muscles is one thing, but it isn’t everything when you are sitting for more than 6 hours a day. So, to ensure that those trained muscles, joints, and ligaments are working properly, invest in a high-quality ergonomic chair for good posture or in a good office chair can choose one from here. An ergonomic chair has been designed to support the whole body while preventing stress or friction on your muscles and bones as you sit.
What this means is that these chairs offer lumbar support. Unfortunately, these chairs are expensive. If you cannot afford one, roll up a small towel or pillow and place it between your lower back and the chair. Keep the pillow or towel small so that you don’t force the spine into a dangerous and awkward position. You might also buy a lumbar cushion.
4. Keep Your Chair in a Comfortable position
The height of your chair also determines your sitting posture. When seated, you should move the chair’s seat up and down until both legs are parallel to the ground, and the knees even with your hips. Also, you need to make sure your arms are parallel to the ground. Note that your feet must be resting on the floor and if they aren’t you’ll need a footrest or stool.
When seated, you should have your elbows planted by your side and the arms extended to an L-shaped bend. Don’t overextend your arms because doing that will place undue pressure on your muscles.
5. Feet planted on the floor equal a good posture
A good posture equals: weight distributed across the hips evenly, knees bent at a right angle and even with the hips, and feet flat on the floor. Note that if you are in heels, you’ll feel more comfortable with the shoes off. Again, get a footrest if your feet can’t reach the floor.
When seated, you should have your elbows planted by your side and the arms extended to an L-shaped bend. Don’t overextend your arms because doing that will place undue pressure on your muscles.
6. Investing in the right mouse
It’s always the little things. Even with lumbar support and correct positioning of the monitor, your sitting posture might be off. The result is a strain on your muscles and getting fatigued trying to reach for the mouse. So, make sure that the mouse is on a similar surface as the keyboard, within reach. And when using it, your wrists should be straight. Invest in an ergonomic mouse too.
Besides the mouse, keep the items you frequently use within reach.
7. Take breaks regularly
This is essential because when seated for long periods, blood flow reduces causes muscular fatigue. So stand up after some time and move a little. Do anything that will get your blood flowing.
Other than taking breaks, stretch as much as possible during your breaks.
Learn more about quick exercises while sitting on this website.
Other ways of fixing that Bad Posture
- Check your pose on the mirror
- Sit properly
- Work on your flexibility and stretch
- Strengthen your core muscles
- Improve your sleeping posture or buy a mattress that supports a healthy posture
- Avoid habits and things that affect your posture such as heavy backpacks and purses.
- Move your TV closer
- Get your eyes checked.
Final Thoughts
- Even when you are not working, you should strive to maintain a good posture. Sit at a 135-degree angle, not 90 or anything less than that.
- Don’t forget about the exercises you can perform at your desk.
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