Good Desk Posture vs. Bad Desk Posture

Be honest: do you spend much time thinking about desk posture? Since the average person spends 12 hours sitting every day, it probably isn’t something you give much thought to. However, if your posture is terrible during these 12 hours, you are doing a significant disservice to your body.

You may object that it takes years for bad posture to harm your health. However, it only takes 20 minutes of bad posture and slouching to damage your ligaments.

While a balance of sitting and standing can help prevent health issues, you still have a job at your desk that you have to do. So to reduce the health risks associated with constant sitting, here is your guide to a proper sitting posture in the workplace.

Proper Desk Posture

You may think your body should be at a 90-degree angle to sit up properly. However, this can put some undue pressure on your spine. A slight recline at around 110 degrees is ideal for less pressure and harm to your ligaments.

You should have your seat at a height where your feet are flat on the floor with your knees aligned with your hips. Your hips should be far back against the chair. You should keep your shoulders relaxed.

As far as your office supplies go, your computer should be an arm’s length away, and your keyboard should be directly in front of you. Try to keep all of your supplies close to you so you don’t have to reach for them. If you have to reach, stand up to get the item.

Other Tips For Improved Posture

While all of these tips are excellent, they don’t make up for the fact that your body was made for movement. For that reason, you need to get up for occasional breaks. Every 30 minutes, you should get up and move, even if it’s just to go to the bathroom.

You should also take advantage of the tools you have available. There are special office chairs that are designed to improve your posture while you work. If possible, you should also look into getting an adjustable desk, such as the stand up desk that is available from Uncaged Ergonomics.

Your job may require you to do a lot of sitting, but you shouldn’t be sitting so much that you are endangering your health. Correct your posture, take these tips to heart and make sure you are sitting at your desk in a healthy way.

More Health Tips

Too much sitting or improper sitting can do some serious damage to your well-being. However, if you take these tips for proper desk posture seriously, you’ll be far less likely to suffer serious complications. Continue to do your job, but do it in a way that promotes good posture and a healthy lifestyle.

If you are seeking out any more tips to improve your health and well-being, please visit our Health section.

Kenneth

Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].