Desk Posture

When we constantly sit at a desk, our posture takes a hit. Some common problems caused by poor desk posture include:

1. Slouching, hunching over the keyboard, whether at a desktop or laptop computer.
2. Craning the neck to look down at your phone.
3. Sitting in awkward postures puts pressure on the shoulders, mid back and low back.

These posture problems lead to neck, shoulder or back pain, headaches and loss of mobility.  Many other health conditions including poor circulation, shallow breathing and slowed digestion can also result.

Here are 5 practical ways to improve your desk posture:  (See video for more detail.)

1. set you chair and desk up to support a neutral spine.  Ergonomic chairs may help.  But how often do you actually have a good ergonomic chair?  Or if you do have a good desk chair, how often do you then have to sit somewhere that’s not “suitable”, like in a meeting or at a conference??  Even if you have a “good chair” it will work better if you know how to sit better with a neutral spine.
2. lumbar support cushion can help with learning the correct position in the beginning if your chair doesn’t have the adjustability to help support the right spot.
3. set the desk height so that you can have elbows at 90º while the arms hang comfortably at the side.  Keyboard and mouse should then line up also.
4. monitor level with the eyes.  My preference is the centre of the monitor should be level with eyes.  Worst case scenario is the top of monitor is level with eyes.  If using a laptop, sit it on a pile of books/blocks of wood/whatever.  Get it to the right height and plug in a keyboard and mouse.
5. MOVE!  Get off the chair as often as possible!  Regardless of how good your chair and desk/computer set up is, move frequently.  Stand up and mobilize legs and back.  Walk around the office-have the printer at the other end of the building is a good strategy.  This promotes circulation and moves the joints of the hips and back.  The “No Money Exercise” can further improve the tension of the mid and upper back and help the neck and shoulders at the same time.  Decompressing after work on the Foam Roller is another great way to avoid trouble.

Want some specific advice?  Everyone has different size, shape and build so not all strategy will work equally.  If you need personalised help, call 6652 4025 and arrange an appointment so we can discuss your specific needs.