How to sit At Your Desk Properly -Ultimate Guide

Health is the most critical part of your life. How can you maintain it if you don’t even know how to sit at your desk correctly? It is important to keep good posture while sitting on a chair for hours because that will give you more energy throughout the day.

Read Also: 5 best office chairs under $50.

The issue is many people deal with bad sitting posture on a daily basis and although it might seem like there’s nothing we can do about it, here I will tell you how to sit at a desk properly so you will to able to sit for a long period of time without feeling any kind of pain in your back, neck, shoulder, and arms.

What is posture?

Posture is the way in which you hold your body upright, and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Posture has been defined as the arrangement of the body and its parts when at rest.

Posture depends on the position of the head, shoulders, buttocks, and feet. The position of these body parts can affect your health because it affects the muscles and ligaments in your back.

Good posture

Good posture is essential to reduce physical problems that may arise from bad posture habits. It enhances performance, reduces fatigue, and increases self-esteem. It also boosts your confidence and can improve your appearance.

Bad posture

Bad posture can also be referred to as Postural Instability or Positional Discomfort Syndrome (PDS). This is where the body develops bad posture after years of poor alignment.

It occurs when muscles become short and tight because they are constantly in spasms due to stress, trauma, or nervous system disturbance.

Some examples of bad posture can be seen in people who hunch over their computers all day.

The muscles that are used the most will develop short and tight, usually the pectoralis major (chest muscles), latissimus dorsi (side back), iliopsoas (hip flexor), and trapezius muscles.

Guide to sitting on a desk properly

Keep feet flat on the floor

Avoid arching your feet and try to keep your feet flat on the floor to maintain proper sitting posture. If the height of the chair does not allow it, then keep the footrest on the floor under your feet and raise them and if you are a tall guy then adjust your chair height.

Avoid slouching

Avoid slouching by keeping your ears over your shoulders instead of in front of them. Sitting up straight and leaning back in your chair is a great trick to avoid slouching. The best thing you can do for yourself while trying this, of course, will depend on the kind of office space that has been provided.

The first step would be sitting upright with good posture at all times; don’t lean forward excessively nor let go so far behind as though going into some sorta sprawl lounging position type.

Keep your monitor at eye level

You can reduce the amount of strain on your neck and eyes by adjusting how high or low a computer monitor is. Place the monitor in front of your eye level or one or two inches above eye level, otherwise, you may experience eyestrain easily while working with this device for long periods of time.

Power of Ergonomic Chair

Use chairs that have adequate back support when sitting for long periods of time, such as at desks. A lack of proper back, neck, and shoulder support while sitting may result in discomfort and possible injury down the line.

Make sure the office chair you are using is ergonomic and fully adjustable with adequate lumbar support to avoid health problems such as sciatica nerve damage that will make performing routine tasks more difficult than they already are now.

Causes of poor posture

The main cause of poor posture in today’s society is that people work on badly designed desks which contributes to bad sitting habits.

In addition, many people will use laptops and tablets rather than desktops when working from home or on the go which means that they are looking down at the screen which will cause their necks to bend into an awkward position. This can often lead to complaints of neck stiffness and headaches.

Another problem for people who have bad sitting habits is that it tends to be associated with slumping over a desk while working which leads to back pain.

A study has found that pain in the lower back is reported by people who hunch their backs or who slump forward while at work.

Signs of Bad Posture

A constant headache is a sure sign of bad posture as it can be caused by the tightness of the muscles in the neck and shoulders. If you have a job where you sit at a desk for most of the day then you may find that it is harder to turn your head from side to side.

This can lead to muscle spasms and pain in the neck and shoulders.

Bad posture leads to decreased breathing efficiency, which makes us feel tired and sleepy, especially after lunchtime.

Bonus tips

Take frequent breaks

When you’re seated for a long period of time, it is important to take frequent breaks so that your blood flow doesn’t slow down too much. Not only will this increase the amount and quality of rest we get while working or studying; but by taking these short walks outside every 1-2 hours our bodies are able to enjoy more fresh air which helps with mental clarity as well.

Do stretches

If you have a problem with poor posture, there are many exercises that can be done at home or in the gym. Even just 30 minutes of stretching per day will help to improve your condition and give back some lost energy.

Take a proper and healthy diet

Do not let yourself get too hungry or too tired because both can cause fatigue and make it harder for you to maintain good posture. Be sure to eat healthy foods regularly throughout the day, including breakfast, and drink plenty of water. Getting adequate sleep will help keep muscles and ligaments in good shape and support.

Bottom line

Maintaining a good sitting posture can improve circulation, decrease back pain, and reduce the risk of obesity. The importance of good sitting posture cannot be stressed enough. People can often stick with a bad sitting position for years and suffer back pain or other issues without realizing it.

However, it is important to note that there are some ways in which you can tell if your posture isn’t ideal even while standing up straight. We hope this blog post helped you know when your sitting position may need improvement and what you should do about it.