10 Best Tips for Proper Sitting Posture at Work

A survey suggests that about 64 percent of employees spend about 9 hours daily sitting at their desks. Now, that is many hours employees spend sitting for work. Other than for work, we find ourselves sitting in leisure time, traveling, and so on.

But how often does every one of us maintain proper posture in a sitting position? Answer this: Are you sitting in a proper posture while reading this sentence? If not, then your health may be in danger.

Consider this: how often have you stretched while sitting in one posture for some time? And when you stretch, you feel some relief. This is because you have been sitting in an incorrect posture, which makes your body sore and your muscles stiff.

Since employees spend a lot of time in a workspace, proper sitting posture at work is something they should practice religiously. Why? It's because a bad sitting posture can lead to sitting disease, including:

• Stiff neck and back pain
• Poor mental health
• Anxiety attacks
• Pinched nerve

Along with health issues, continued poor posture at the workplace also affects an employee's work life. Here's how:

• Decreased ability to focus
• Decreased productivity
• Increased absenteeism

So, you see, your sitting posture has a lot of impact- from health to performance at work. Given the severity, I am curating this blog, which will include practical tips for practicing correct posture for desk work to maintain good health.

What is a Correct Sitting Posture?

"Sit up straight" is a common phrase almost everyone has heard since childhood. Little did we know that sitting up straight had a lot to do with our health. So, what is a good posture for a sitting position?

The human backbone has three natural curves- a bit of a forward curve in the neck area, a bit of a curve in the backward around the upper backbone, and a forward curve in the lower backbone.

And according to Harvard Health, a good sitting posture is when the alignment of the backbone curve is proper, and the body weight is equally distributed over the feet.

Also, while using a computer monitor, here's how a busy worker should sit:

• Adjust the chair height in such a way that you can keep your feet flat on the floor. Also, your knees should be aligned with your hips.

• Sit back and straight up, with your hips aligning with the chair's back.

• If you want to recline your chair, keep it at an angle of 100 to 110 degrees.

• Ensure the computer monitor is at least 20 inches away or one arm's length from your body and a few inches above your eye level. You should be able to keep your neck relaxed and neutral.

• If you use a separate keyboard, keep it close and in front of your body.

• Ensure to relax your shoulders as you work on your computer. The shoulder should not rise above your ears or rounded back while working in one posture.

10 Tips for Proper sitting posture at work

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, and armrests make them necessary for proper office ergonomics.

Here, because of their beneficial 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.

• Ensure that you are sitting at a height where you can easily have your feet on the floor.
• Adjust the height of your chair so that your knees are even with your hips.
• 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, you must know how to sit correctly on a chair. To do these, understanding the following points is imperative.

• Workers must be aware of of the importance of distributing their body weight equally. It means not leaning towards either side of the body but instead sitting straight.
• Bend your knees 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 more comfortable if workers sit barefoot instead of sitting with their shoes.
• Individuals should avoid sitting with their legs crossed 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, dear employees, you must sit up straight.

4. Screen Positioning

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

The screen should be positioned directly in front of the eyes. It means not tilting the screen left or right but straight ahead of the face and eyes.

• The monitor should not be far from the 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 with 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. To adjust the height, you can use a monitor desk stand. If it gets costly, you can also use books 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.
• The 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 them.
• 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 that 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 or type 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 your body frequently to use appliances causes muscle strain and fatigue.
• Also, you must not tilt your hand to use the mouse. Rather, workers should keep their hands perfectly straight while using the mouse.
• For better workplace ergonomics, getting an ergonomic mouse is a great choice. Such a mouse 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 or any other stationery at the desk should be within your reach.

This is because reaching out in constant intervals can lead to muscle strain. Also, continuous twisting and turning can lead to joint pain.

8. Headset

Some jobs may require being on the phone for long periods of time. So, instead of reaching out for the phone, workers can use a headset.

9. Take stretch breaks 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 (a common injury among desk workers) as well. Here, you can stretch your fingers apart from one another, clench your fingers and release, etc. These are incredibly easy exercises 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 seats. Sitting 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 busy professionals should keep in mind about developing a proper sitting posture at work.

What Are the Bad Sitting Postures to Avoid?

The human body is built in a way that it needs to move and change postures throughout the day. But, based on the activity we must do during the day and night, we cannot always keep moving our ligaments as required.

Also, when we have to be in a particular posture for a long time, for instance, while sitting at the office, we tend to slouch or cross our legs in a way that feels comfortable but harms the body internally. So, what is a bad posture?

Let's look into some bad sitting postures that everyone should avoid:

Exercises to Improve and Maintain Proper Sitting Posture

The below mentioned are some exercises that are known to improve and maintain proper sitting posture:

1. Child's pose

• Kneel. Sit back and bring your buttocks on our heels. Keep your feet flat on the floor.

• Now, fold your upper body forward. For that, lean your torso forward and rest your forehead on the floor as much as possible.

• Extend your arms out in front of your body with your palms facing downside. You can bring your arms back alongside your legs if this is uncomfortable.

• Now relax in this pose. Take deep, slow breaths and try to relax your entire body for 30 seconds. Release the pose.

2. Cat and cow pose

• Get down on your knees and hands. Make sure you position your hands directly under your shoulders. And your knees should be under your hips.

• Inhale and arch your back outwards, making an outward curve on your back. Then, allow your head to hang down and look towards your navel. This is the Cat pose.

• Now, exhale and arch your back inwards. At the same time, lift your head and chest upward. This is the Cow pose.

• Practice both poses alternately, ten times in total. Regulate your breathing throughout the poses.

3. The bridge pose

• Lie on your back, with your knees bent, facing towards the ceiling. Keep your feet flat on the floor; they should be at your hip-width apart.

• Place your hands under your pelvis, with your palms facing downwards.

• Now, press your feet downwards and lift your hips off the ground. Squeeze your buttock muscles as you move, hold for a few seconds.

• Keep your thighs parallel to the floor during the pose.

• Hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute, taking deep breaths.

• Then, slowly lower your hips back to the ground.

Bottom Line

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, people with sitting job should have a proper sitting posture at work. We hope this piece helped you get started on maintaining a good posture.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sitting Posture

1. How can I maintain good posture during long meetings or conference calls?

Practicing posture-fixing exercises is one way to maintain a good posture during long meetings. Also, you can stay conscious of how you are sitting during your work hours. This may help you to maintain a proper sitting posture at work.

2. Is it better to sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair at work?

The shortest answer is no. Although sitting on an exercise ball at work has its benefits, there are more disadvantages. Yes. Using an exercise ball is seen to have spinal shrinkage and more risks of injury. So, sitting on a chair with a good posture at desk and practicing posture-fixing exercises is better.

3. How can I avoid slouching while working at a desk for long hours?

Avoiding the act of slouching while at a desk involves a conscious mindset and the habit of sitting in a proper posture. Keep your legs and feet in a posture that will not impact your backbone's alignment, and use your keyboard and mouse, as mentioned in the above points.

4. What are the effects of a bad posture?

Bad posture can give rise to back pain, shoulder ache, neckache, backache, muscle strain, etc.

5. Do posture correctors help rectify a bad posture?

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.

6. How to permanently improve your posture?

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.