Sitting at a desk for eight hours every day, five days a week is common for a great many of us. Did you realize that this position can put a great deal of strain on our spine and lower back? Well, it can and if you are not careful, this can lead to serious posture problems over time.
The key here is to pay attention to your posture while you are sitting at that desk all day and taking the necessary steps to improve the way you sit. Here are some tips to help.
1 – Get A Great Night’s Sleep
This is very important when you are concerned about your posture and/or back pain. The way we sleep and what we sleep on has a great effect in our daily lives. For example, if you are sleeping on an old mattress and you wake up with lower back pain on a regular basis, then your posture is going to suffer while you sit in that chair.
If this scenario sounds familiar, then you may want to consider replacing your old mattress. The Sleep Judge has done a myriad of reviews on mattresses, including a comparison of hybrid mattresses. A hybrid mattress offers the sturdiness of coils with the flexibility of foam which are great options for supporting your spine while you sleep. From there you can continue to improve your posture at work.
2 – Set It Up
The way your desk and computer are set up can have a great deal to do with your posture. If you are leaning forward a great deal or looking down a lot, then this can have serious implications on your spine and your posture.
Your monitor should be kept at eye level and only a foot away from you so there is less strain on your neck. Where your keyboard is placed is also important. This should be placed in a way where your wrists are straight.
3 – Keep It Straight
When you are sitting at your desk try to keep your spine in its natural state. There are two curves important and if you do your best to keep your spine natural than your posture will benefit from it. When you are sitting, keep your back straight with your ears aligned with your hips and your shoulders.
If you begin to get tired in your chair, scoot forward so that you are sitting on the edge. This will force your back to straighten. Then you can move to sitting back with the chair supporting your spine.
4 – Move Around
If you find that you have been sitting at your desk for a long time, then get up and take a walk to the water cooler or the break room. Make any excuse to get up and move around. Sitting in one position for too long is exhausting and the pressure of weight on our spine is immense.
If you can, during your break or lunch hour head outside and take a brisk walk. You can bring your walking shoes with you to the office. If you did that opposed to sitting somewhere else, you will find that when you get back to your desk, your posture will be better, and you will be energized.
5 – Amend Your Chair
The back on your chair should be a strong support for your back. The height of your chair should enable you to put your feet flat on the floor. Also, if you find your back is still aching then try putting a pillow between your lower back and the back of the chair.
A small pillow should work fine. If you place it between your chair and your lower back, you’ll find the extra pressure on your spine to straighten out.
6 – Try Yoga
This type of stretching has been helping people’s postures for thousands of years. If you start a practice of your own, then your posture at work should greatly improve. Positions from baby’s pose to downward facing dog can do amazing things to your overall life balance and straighten out your back in the meantime.
An added bonus is that a yoga practice will have benefits that bleed into your personal life. You will feel centered and relaxed. This is important when you are trying to have work/life balance, which we fully support.
7 – Get Posture Improving Props
You can buy several items that will help with your quest to improve your posture. There are ergonomic office chairs available, but we know that getting management to approve a new one can take time.
Try a footrest or a back support for your lumbar area. These should also help improve your posture.
Conclusion
We spend a great deal of time sitting in front of our computers at work and the excess time in a chair can wreak havoc on your spine health. This can result in bad posture. Bad posture causes back pain, and the appearance of slouching gives the impression of low self-esteem. So if you want to keep your back straight and painless, try our tips and you’ll be happy to see that your posture will be standing at attention in no time!
