When working with computers our body can begin to slouch in our seats, and we often tend to assume very unhealthy positions after a long period of time.
Because of this, our posture can cause havoc for us during our everyday lives, sometimes leading to serious back, neck and shoulder injuries.
In order to help sort your posture out, there are many different techniques that you could try out, which might benefit the professional with a 9-5 office job.
Here are the steps you should be taking to improve your posture while working.
- Stretching
Various stretches throughout the day can help improve your posture. This does not mean standing up in front of your office and stretching as you would in the gym, but instead, light exercises that you can perform within seconds in a work-based environment, either while seated or during your breaks. These could include chin tucking; stretch the back of your neck by moving your chin down and in towards your neck. This will help release any stiff muscles you may have in the back of your neck.
- Standing
Just because you have a chair at your desk doesn’t mean you have to use it. You should make sure you stand up frequently, every 30 minutes or so, which will allow you to reset your posture.
- Sitting on a ball
An exercise ball is an adaptable piece of equipment, and perfect for position while sitting. Consider rotating between this and chairs during the day. Sitting on the ball makes it hard for your body to slouch, meaning it encourages different muscles to group together and keep a strong posture. At first, the ball will be uncomfortable and you might lose your balance periodically, but you will soon get correct yourself and notice a huge difference in your posture.
- Have a good chair
As you will spend the majority of your working day sat in a desk chair it pays to make sure that you’re sitting in a chair that isn’t destroying your spine. This doesn’t mean your chair needs to cost an absolute fortune, but it just needs to have adjustable height, a solid cushion to sit on, good lower back support and level/balanced wheels. If they don’t feel right pick up a new set from a company such as Tente.
- Set your monitor and desk properly
If you work on a laptop spending your day hunched over a keyboard or trackpad, or even if you work on a computer, it is possible that your monitors are not set high enough, forcing you to tilt your head. You will want your monitor to be at a height where you are looking directly ahead at it and not adjusting your neck in any way to view the screen. Life hacker has put together a great article on how to ergonomically optimize your workspace.
Try each of these tips out and see the difference it makes to your everyday life. It may take a while for you to notice the effects, but in time you’ll soon feel the benefits.
