Tips
for improving your posture while seated in your working office chair
By
improving your posture while seated in your working office chair
and incorporating ergonomics, you will be more comfort working,
which will increase your productivity. With time, poor
posture has become habit. Poor posture can easily lead to back
pain, poor productivity, and missed time from work. You control
the factors influencing your posture and with ergonomics, poor
posture is not difficult to change.
The following suggestions are ways of improving your posture and
ergonomics.
Poor ergonomics and posture can cause back pain and discomfort.
This discomfort or pain can worsen during certain times of the
day. The pain tends to go away or lessen is you stand, or change
your position. Staring at a computer or paperwork with your neck
bent can cause a stiff neck, which turns into pain radiating
from the neck that moves down the spine into the upper back,
shoulders, continuing down into the lower back and extremities.
Some ignore sudden back pain associated with a new job, thinking
that it is stress, when in fact; it is due to bad posture, or
the new chair that came with the new job.
Take breaks. During the day, your muscles tire and you have a
tendency to slouch. Poor posture puts pressure on your
neck, shoulders, and lower back. You need to move and, stretch
your muscles. To continue a comfortable and supportive posture,
you need to alter your position often. One suggestion is to take
breaks and stand, stretch, or walk.
Standing, sitting up straight, and keeping your body aligned
will help eliminate back pain. When you stand, sit, or walk,
distribute your body weight evenly from front, back, and sides.
When you sit, you want your ears, shoulders, and hips in a
vertical line. Holding this position for a period is tiring, so
lean forward or back using the back support of the chair to ease
your back muscles. Move your shoulders up and down or even roll
your head from side to side will move tired muscles and help
your circulation. Try not to cross your legs while sitting, this
will put your body off balance, as well as cut off or limit
circulation to your legs.
Use supportive ergonomic props. Posture-friendly props and
ergonomic equipment can help eliminate strain on the spine as
well as eyestrain. Some ergonomic equipment includes: sculpted
office chairs, chairs with an adjustable back support,
footrests, and portable lumbar back supports. Having your eyes
checked regular and wearing the proper corrective eyewear can
eliminate eyestrain. You also need to position your computer
screens to your natural, resting eye position. By doing this,
you will can prevent keeping your head tilted forward and
straining your neck.
Be awareness of your posture at work, home, and play is a
fundamental step towards good posture and ergonomic techniques.
By making connections between occurrence of back pain and your
specific posture or ergonomics may lead to the cause of your
back pain.
Exercise can help avert injury and encourage good posture. Back
muscles need to be 30% stronger than abdominal muscles to
support the upper body. Get up from your office chair and walk,
every hour or two. During your lunch break, exercise by walking,
swimming, or bicycling to help your body stay fit. Other
benefits of exercise are: promotes good posture, strengthen the
muscles, and prevent injury. There are specific exercises, which
will aid in maintaining good posture.
Keep in mind good posture and ergonomics when moving. If you are
speaking on the phone or typing you are moving. Pay attention to
ergonomics and your posture. Do not prop the phone
between your ear and shoulder as you speak. This puts your neck
at an un-natural angle, causing strain on your neck and
shoulders. Injuries to your back occur more often when you are
twisting and/or lifting. Remember to bend at the knees and lift
with your legs. The simple act of bending over to pick
up a pencil can put strain on your lower back.
Fashion an ergonomic environment for your workspaces. This will
require time and energy to create, but the rewards will be worth
all the time you put into it. Gone will be the unwarranted
strain to your back, neck, and shoulders caused from improperly
placed office chair, desk, keyboard, and computer screen.
It is important to keep a relaxed posture. Avoid stiff posture,
and limited movements such as tighten muscles, and unnatural
positions. If you already suffer from back pain, it is only
natural to try to limit or avoid movements that may cause pain.
However, by not moving the muscles, the back will stiffen. The
spine is made to move. If you restrict movement over a long
period, this will create more pain, followed by even less
movement, and so on.
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