How To Develop A Proper Sitting Posture At The Office

Of the many health problems workers suffer at a corporate office, poor posture is pretty common. Many individuals spend the better half of their day in front of a computer with an unhealthy sitting posture. It ultimately leads to a lousy posture.

Bad posture results in back pain, shoulder ache, neck pain, lower backache, etc. All these means an out of shape worker who cannot function at optimum capacity. Thus, it is crucial to tackling this problem immediately.

Fortunately, proper knowledge and a conscious approach are enough to handle this problem of improper posture. While you have to develop the latter on your own, we can help you get the right knowledge.

So, here are the points your workers must know for a better sitting posture at work.

How To Develop A Proper Sitting Posture At The Office

1. Proper chair

First of all, you must have a proper setup. In this regard, having a proper ergonomic chair should be your top priority. These are vital in a workplace environment because of the level of support these chairs provide. Their lumbar support, adjustable height, armrest makes them a necessity for proper office ergonomics.

Here, because of their incredible helpful features, they can get costly at times. If you're working on a tight budget, then you can use a pillow for lumbar support. In this case, don't use a giant pad that will put your spine in a bad position; keep it adequately small.

2. Height adjustment

The height adjustment of your chair is crucial in a sitting posture. Here, you should adjust your chair to meet these criteria.

• Ensure that you are sitting at a height where you can easily have your feet on the floor.
• Adjust the height of your chair in such a way wherein your knees are even with your hips.
• Here, make sure to use the armrest to keep your arms parallel to the ground.
• If you have trouble reaching the ground, you should get a stool or anything for a footrest.

You must find your sweet spot with the height adjustment until you satisfy the points above.

3. Sitting Position

After adjusting the height, your workers must know how to sit correctly on a chair. To do these, understanding the following points are imperative.

• Workers must be aware of distributing their bodyweight equally. It means not leaning towards either side of the body but instead sitting straight.
• Employees should bend the knee at a right angle. It is also imperative that the knee is at an even height or slightly below concerning the hips.
• A worker's feet should always be flat on the floor. Here, one can use a proper footrest if the feet don't reach the floor. It is also better and comfortable if your workers sit barefoot instead of sitting with their shoes.
• Individuals should avoid sitting with their leg cross as it affects the blood flow in the legs.
• Your workers should have their arms in an "L-Shape" while working with a computer.
• Leaning forward towards the screen is a big mistake in a sitting posture. So, employees must sit up straight.

4. Screen Positioning

Having a perfect screen positioning is also an essential part of proper desk posture. To get this positioning right, here are a few pointers.

• The positioning of the screen should be directly in front of your eyes. It means not tilting the screen left or right but straight ahead of your face and eyes.
• Your monitor should not be afar from your eye level. The best rule here is keeping the monitor at arm's length.
• The height of the screen is also critical. Here, the monitor's top should not be more than two inches in the upward or downward direction in relation to eye level. This rule is essential to avoid tilting your head and neck, thereby preventing neck pain and eye strain.

These are the essential pointers for screen positioning for a proper posture. For adjusting the height, you can use a monitor desk stand. If it gets costly, then you can use books as well to adjust the height.

5. Keyboard Positioning

Like screen positioning, proper keyboard position also matters. To achieve this, here are the specifications to follow.

• The keyboard should be directly in front of the monitor.
• Distance to the keyboard from where you sit should not be much. Here, the key is to avoid keeping things so far away that one needs to stretch to use it.
• Workers should have some room in between the keyboard and the edge of the desk. This room is necessary to rest one's hand while typing for comfortable working.
• The keyboard's height should not be so high wherein you need your hands to tilt while writing. Here, the measurement must be at such a place wherein you can keep your hands flat and write with ease.

6. Mouse Positioning

Contrary to what you may think, even an object as small as a mouse is also crucial for proper posture. Following are the details that you must understand.

• The mouse's positioning should be at the same level as the keyboard and be easy to reach. Stretching to use appliances causes muscle strain and fatigue.
• One must not tilt their hand to use the mouse. Your workers should keep their hands perfectly straight while using the mouse.
• For better workplace ergonomics, you can also use an ergonomic mouse. These are the mouse that fits nicely into a human hand's natural curves and can prevent wrist strain.
• If you feel a shortage of space where you need the mouse at a different height, use a wrist pad.

7. Accessories Positioning

To get the best posture, the positioning of your accessories is also essential. Here, products like a stapler, stationery at the desk should be nearby your reach. It is because reaching out in constant intervals can lead to muscle strain. Also, continuous twisting and turning can lead to joint pain as well.

8. Headset

Some jobs may require being on the phone for long periods of time. Here, instead of reaching out for the phone, workers can use a headset. It helps one cut out the head's constant tilting be on the phone, which promotes neckache. Over time, this can also lead to ligament damage if not dealt with proper care.

9. Stretch at regular intervals

Working continuously at a stretch is very risky for posture. So, workers must take regular breaks to do some office stretches at times. These stretches help with the blood flow and keep the muscles functioning well.

Timely stretching your hand will help you with carpal tunnel syndrome prevention as well. Here, you can stretch your fingers apart from one another, clench your fingers and release, etc. These are incredibly easy that workers can do anytime while working at their desks at 30-minute intervals.

10. Timely Breaks

Last but not least, your workers should take timely breaks and get out of their seat. It is because sitting at a stretch for long hours can numb your muscles. Here, getting some physical activity, like some office exercises, will help the workers a lot.

These were the things your workers should keep in mind about developing a proper sitting posture. Now, let's have a look at frequently asked questions about sitting posture.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sitting Posture

Q.1 What is the proper sitting posture for a computer?
Answer: While sitting in front of a computer, you should sit up straight, bending your knees at a right angle, ensure your feet reach the floor, and keep your hips and knees even.

Q.2 What is the best sitting posture for sitting all day?
Answer: No posture is good for sitting all day; you must move around at regular intervals. Always avoid sitting at a stretch for long hours.

Q.3 What are the effects of a bad posture?
Answer: Bad posture can give rise to back pain, shoulder ache, neckache, backache, muscle strain, etc.

Q.4 Do posture correctors help rectify a bad posture?
Answer: In a worst-case scenario, wherein you are already suffering from a bad posture, a posture corrector can help. Here, wear them for a few hours every day and do regular exercise. You can do other activities like yoga as well to gain stability and correct your posture.

Q.5 How to permanently improve your posture?
Answer: For permanent results, you have to make all the healthy habits every day. But, in particular, you need to spend a lot of effort on your upper back, chest, and core.

Conclusion

Proper posture is crucial for employee health. It aids not only in physical health but also in mental health. As such, it has a positive effect on a person's confidence. For reasons as such, your workers should have a proper sitting posture. We hope this piece helped you get started on maintaining a good posture.