Mind Your Posture!

Sitting Comfortably: Maintaining Good Posture at Your Computer

Sitting in front of computers for long periods can have short and long-term consequences. If you have experienced an occasional stiff neck or a tingling feeling in your feet, understand that these are all warning signs. Ignore them, and you have more serious issues waiting for you!

By paying a little attention to things like your chair height, sitting posture, equipment spacing, etc you can stay healthy and avoid the negative impact of prolonged sitting.

Best Practices for Healthy Sitting

1. Adjust Your Seat Height and Posture

Adjust your seat height so that your desk is at elbows level and your feet are flat on the floor. Your shoulders should be relaxed. Your knee should be in line with the hip. If your feet are not resting flat on the ground, use a footrest or even a ream of paper.

2. Sit Back and Recline

Sit as far back in your chair as possible and adjust the back of the chair at a 100-110 angle. The upper and lower back should be properly supported by your chair. Use a pillow to give your lower back additional support. Rather than sitting in an upright position at a 90-degree angle, a slightly reclined position reduces spinal pressure.

3. Keep Your Neck and Head Aligned

Keep your neck and head upright with your ears aligned with the shoulders. Tilting your head increases the pressure on your neck.

4. Position Your Monitor

Place your monitor at arm’s length. Adjust the height so that the top of the monitor is at eye level. If the monitor is too far, we tend to lean forward which causes a lot of strain on the neck and shoulders. If you can’t adjust the height of your monitor, place it on top of a box or some other suitable object. Position your monitor so that the brightest light source is to the side. If you are wearing bifocals lower the monitor to a comfortable level.

5. Dual Monitor Setup

If you are using two monitors at the same time, place both of them in front in such a way that they are equally spaced. This minimizes your head rotation and will be less stressful for your neck and shoulders.

6. Using a Laptop

If you are working on a laptop, use a laptop stand to raise the monitor to your eye level and use a wireless mouse and keyboard. Keep things that you need like your mobile phone, notepad, pen, printed material etc close to your body to minimize reaching out. Stand up to take the objects that are not within easy reach.

7. Keyboard and Mouse Placement

Place your keyboard directly in front of your body. Place your mouse on the same surface as your keyboard. While using a keyboard or mouse keep your upper arms close to your body and your hands at the level of your elbows or slightly lower.

8. Maintain Even Weight Distribution

Avoid leaning over to one side. Ensure that your weight is evenly distributed on your hips when you are in a sitting position. Leaning over to one side causes your spine to curve, which can lead to issues such as sprains and strains, scoliosis, and disc herniation.

According to Cleveland Clinic, good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit, and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during these activities. However, no matter how good your posture is, prolonged sitting will take a toll on your body. So, it’s important that you stand up, stretch, and walk around frequently. Experts suggest taking a break every 30 minutes. You can walk around or do some simple ergonomic stretches every 30 minutes.

Taking care to avoid eye fatigue is also equally important. Looking away from your screen at a distant object every 20-30 minutes will reduce the stress on the eyes. Also, ensure that the room is well lit without causing glare on your screen. Using blue light filter glasses would also help.

Following these simple steps will help you improve your sitting posture and maintain a healthy back and spine. Always arrange your computer screen, laptop, and keyboard to maintain the right posture. Proper posture helps keep your bones and joints in proper alignment and reduces abnormal wear and tear. Apart from improving physical health, it also improves your appearance and thereby your self-esteem.