After years of sitting at a computer for long periods of time, I had poor posture due to muscle tension, decreased blood flow, overuse, and repetitive strain injuries. I used to sit in the same compromised, vulnerable position for 8 hours a day. In 2011, I finally took full accountability and started fixing bad posture at the computer.
How to fix computer posture mistakes. Photo by Andreypopv via Megapixl
Since 2011, I’ve studied how to correct computer posture and improve workstation ergonomics. Today, I’m sharing 4 of my most important tips on how to fix computer posture mistakes.
Poor posture at a computer for 8 hours a day used to decrease my grip strength in many ways. My hands, wrists, fingers, and forearms suffered muscle tension from repetitive strain and lack of blood flow. Poor posture on my keyboard and mouse for long periods of time caused carpel tunnel syndrome.
Grip strength training tips. Photo by Olehslepchenko via Megapixl
If you’d like to learn more about the causes of poor hand posture and its negative effects, check out my article titled, Why Does Typing Weaken Grip Strength.
Today, I’m focusing the rest of this article on a more optimistic, productive mindset. Continue reading below to learn how to enhance grip power.
I recently wrote an article titled, How to Sleep Better at Night Naturally. It contains the 4 most valuable sleep improvement tips that’ve helped me. It specifically talks about better sleep habits like using blackout curtains, a grounding sheet, mouth tape, and a temperature controlled mattress cover. That article about improving sleep naturally can be found here.
Quality Sleep Guide. Photo by Showtimeagola via Megapixl
While writing that article, I realized I have many more than those 4 habits for sleep optimization. As I often say, my sleep quality is directly related to how good (or bad) my computer posture is the next day. The earlier in the day I get tired, the quicker I have poor computer posture. Today, I’m writing this article to share 4 more healthy sleep habits that I practice.
I used to have very poor sleep habits. I’d stay up late watching tv. When I eventually got in bed, it would take me an hour to fall asleep. Then every time I woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, it would take an hour to fall back asleep. Finally, my alarm would go off and I’d hit the snooze button for an hour. I was averaging 4 to 5 hours of poor sleep quality a night.
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When I first started trying better sleep strategies, I had no idea how extensive my healthy sleep habits would get. A lot of people may call it excessive. But all my sleep habits have become an easy, comfortable norm for me to improve sleep naturally.
Until recently, I had been a chronic mouth breather all my life. Both on the inhale and exhale. This caused increased risk of many health problems. I was overusing my jaw muscles to constantly hold my mouth open. My overused jaw muscles were causing muscle tension in my head, face, and neck muscles. This was the catalyst for a lot of bad headaches.
Hostage Tape is the best mouth tape for sleeping in my opinion.
Another problem was shallow breathing through my mouth. My breath wasn’t in my lungs long enough to be highly effective. I needed to slow my breathing down, so that air spent more time in my lungs.
I’ve gotten multiple benefits of mouth taping since I started taping my mouth shut in early 2023. My favorite benefits are how much it reduced muscle tension and improved my sleep. These were accomplished because mouth tape helped me keep my jaw in a closed, neutral position all night (compared to sleeping with my mouth open). Continue reading this article to learn more reasons why I use mouth tape for sleep benefits.
One of the most common computer posture mistakes caused me to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. The mistake: the type of keyboard and mouse I used caused a lot of pressure and overuse on my wrists. This overuse made my wrist muscles fatigue quickly, which led to excessive muscle tension.
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There’s a common misconception about carpal tunnel syndrome. Many office workers think carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by typing. In my case, it was caused by engaging my wrist muscles to lift my hands onto a tall keyboard and mouse. I would hold my wrists in this compromised, poor posture position for long periods of time. Once I understood how carpal tunnel syndrome had to do with wrist position, and not typing, it was an easy computer posture fix for me.
There are many ways to avoid shoulder pain. Being office workers, we are very prone to neck and shoulder overuse for most of the day. I used to sit all day with my hands on the keyboard and mouse at least 8 hours a day. Holding this vulnerable position caused excessive internal shoulder rotation. In addition to those long periods at work, my poor hand position while driving was putting my shoulder muscles right back in that same internally rotated, poor posture position.
Photo by Andraz Lazic via Unsplash
The combination of poor computer posture and poor driving posture added up to be a minimum 9 hours of my day. My hands and arms were overused. I had neck and shoulder pain at work and in the car. Eventually, these repetitive strain injuries became chronic. I’d deal with them regardless of what I was doing. This affected me during exercise. It even affected me when I slept, because my shoulders were stuck in that internally rotated position. Our muscles are meant to be strong and resilient. However, they aren’t meant to be held in the exact same position for 8 or more hours a day.
The point of this article isn’t to tell you exactly where correct hand positioning is on the steering wheel. In my opinion, it’s not that simple. A typical driver’s ed course told us to put them at “10 o’clock and 2 o’clock.” But that could be what’s making our internal shoulder rotation worse. Here’s an example…
I started learning correct posture back in 2011. I’d been sitting at a computer for 10 years at that point. Sitting with poor posture for long periods of time, 8 hours a day, caused numerous injuries. Today, I’m going to talk about the 3 worst computer posture injuries I had. Then, I’m going to talk about 3 easy computer posture fixes to prevent them.
Photo via Eraxion via Megapixl
By reading this article, you’re taking a valuable step forward to improve your posture. That’s something to be very proud of. Surprisingly, many computer posture fixes are very easy to do. The hard part is sticking to those good posture habits for long periods of time.
I enjoy talking about my personal experience so others can learn from it. My goal is to explain correct posture as simply as possible. I’m a lifelong athlete with a degree in information technology. The combination of those 2 interests is what sparked my desire to write a book. I’ve taken classes on posture, computer ergonomics, and user experience. I talk about ways I corrected my poor posture. I explain them in a way that’s easy to understand, easy to implement, and a valuable use of our time. The correct posture benefits I’ve gotten are decreased computer related pain, increased energy, improved mental clarity, and increased work productivity.
I’d like to share my background and how I got here. I want to explain why I’m a credible source for computer posture correction. This way, you can decide whether or not to listen to my story. You’re probably here because you’re interested in topics like neck pain relief, preventing carpal tunnel, optimal sitting position, and sit-stand desk benefits. If so, I think my story will resonate with you.
Best posture for computer work. Photo by Reneshia via Megapixl
I graduated in 2001 with a degree in Information Technology. I’ve been doing computer work ever since. Of all the information technology classes I took, computer ergonomics was the most interesting to me. This is mainly because of my athletic background. My main sports were basketball, baseball, and beach volleyball. I also enjoy lifting weights and other exercise.
In 2011, my body was broken and my posture was terrible. I’d had enough. I decided to start my journey in computer posture correction. I’d been sitting at a computer with poor posture for 10 years at that point. I began to implement as many healthy sitting habits into my life as I could. So today, I’m sharing some of my favorite computer desk posture tips.
Back in 2011, I didn’t realize my knee pain was caused by sitting at a computer for long periods of time. I thought it was from overtraining. Besides, the first time I ever felt knee pain was after a long run. But the pain that day was the effect of my problem. Running was a variable that made the knee pain worse. However, the cause of the knee pain was repetitive strain from sitting at a computer for long periods of time.
Photo by Khosrork via Megapixl
Why does sitting at a computer cause knee pain?
As soon as I felt knee pain, I made an appointment with a massage therapist. He was a really sharp guy. He was also a CrossFit coach, which is the main training method I was doing back then.
I told him my knees hurt, but I wasn’t sure why. He explained to me that pain and inflammation in a joint is often caused by a tight muscle somewhere else. Muscles are attached to tendons. Tendons are attached to bones. Often at a joint, like a knee.
For example: the quadriceps, hamstrings, IT bands, and calves all attach to tendons at the knee. When these muscles get tight, we might feel muscle tension. But it didn’t really hurt in the muscle for me. It just felt tight. The problem is, tight muscles pull extra hard on tendons, which get overextended easily. These tendons at the knee are where we’re more likely to feel the pain first.
A full-time office worker hits a button on the keyboard thousands of times per day. With every keystroke we make, the muscles in our hands, and tendons in our fingers, are doing the exact opposite of what builds a strong grip.
Photo by Luke Southern via Unsplash
But why does this happen?
You would think using our hands and fingers to type all day would make our grip stronger.
But these are the reasons why typing weakened my grip strength…
The most common work-related disability is back pain caused by sitting at a computer with poor posture. There are many reasons how this happens. However, all of them can be described under one term: repetitive strain injuries. To understand how to improve your poor posture and decrease your pain, it’s very important to understand what a repetitive strain injury is first.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels
Also known as RSI, repetitive strain injuries cause pain or impairment of muscles or tendons when they have been used over and over for long periods of time. Sitting at a computer with poor posture puts a huge amount of stress on a body. When in that poor posture for extended periods of time every day, repetitive strain injuries become a painful, chronic work-related disability.
Lower back pain can be a mysterious, nagging issue for those of us who sit at a computer for long periods of time. I’ve dealt with it a lot over the years. Most of the time, it was caused by repetitive strain of my lower back muscles that were overextended. The question isn’t necessarily, “What’s wrong with my lower back?” But more accurately, “How is my poor computer posture causing this lower back pain?” There is a cause and effect for everything. In this case, lower back pain is the effect, not the cause.
Photo by Andreypopov via Megapixl
Common causes of lower back pain often don’t originate in the lower back. Improper sitting posture can affect or trigger lower back pain. Maintaining a neutral spine is very important. When we lose the lumbar curve, it overextends the muscles, also putting a lot of pressure on the spinal cord. Having our monitor too low can also cause lower back pain. Holding internal shoulder rotation for long periods of time can also cause us to slouch forward, setting off a chain reaction of bad habits down to the lower back. Other common posture mistakes are incorrect desk height, chair height, and foot position.
Nothing on my website is medical advice. It’s for informational purposes only. It’s not my intention to replace the need for physical therapy. I simply share my experience, what has worked for me, and what hasn’t. I talk about the poor posture mistakes I’ve fixed and the good postural habits I’ve learned. Also, I talk about things I’ve learned in pain relief and pain management. It’s important to consult a professional healthcare provider if the pain persists or when it happens suddenly. Also, consult them for medical advice before performing any of the methods in this article.
The majority of Americans are required to sit for 40 hours or more every week. Prolonged sitting in a static position, with incorrect posture, can cause long term and short term effects. Not everyone has the luxury of having an ergonomic office chair. But there are ways to sit comfortably and properly. These good sitting posture habits can help prevent some of the negative effects of a prolonged sitting position.
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How To Sit Comfortably In An Office Chair
How to adjust an office chair
Everyone has different variables when it comes to ergonomic sitting posture. Some of them include arm’s length, torso height, leg length, height of desk, height of your chair, etc. There’s no one way to describe how to sit properly in an office chair. It’s up to each of us to take our own variables into consideration when finding a comfortable sitting position. But with that said, here are 3 main rules I follow to adjust an office chair. These can apply to anyone.
My feet are flat on the floor
I never want an office chair too high so that you can’t rest your feet flat on the floor. You may have to sit at a very high desk, which causes you to raise your chair so much that your feet don’t touch the floor. In this case, a footrest would work just as well. Just make sure your feet are flat on the footrest.
Ergonomics means the “the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment” (definition credit Google/Oxford Languages). When it comes to working on a laptop, ergonomics means posture. It also means requiring good habits from multiple indirect variables. These variables can mean sleep quality, breathing, and hydration. Click on any of those if you’d like to take learn ergonomic tips about each subtopic. All of them are related to how good (or bad) our computer posture is.
Photo by Ocusfocus via Megapixl
Using a laptop is very different from using a desktop. Laptops have a very compact design. My laptop screen, laptop keyboard and mouse are all within 13 inches of each other. Having to focus my eye level on my laptop screen, plus my hands on the keyboard and mouse, creates awkward postures. Factor in that we are in this vulnerable position for a long period of time, it exponentially increases the risk of injury. Laptops are not designed for all-day use.
Proper laptop ergonomics can help decrease the strain and pressure on your neck and back. Any time I feel physical pain, my work productivity and mental clarity suffer. Following a few ergonomic tips can help improve your productivity and clarity.
My definition of posture is the position someone holds their body in. Posture is a constant variable in our lives. The importance of good posture becomes much greater when we are working in a position for an extended period of time. Repetitive strain and overuse injuries are the enemy. Not necessarily the position we are sitting or standing in. A key variable in how to maintain good posture is to change the position we are working in multiple times throughout the day.
Having a neutral spine is another key variable to improve your posture. The old advice of “stand tall”, or “sit up straight”, is actually more complex than that. Sitting or standing “too tall” can possibly lead to poor posture. The spine isn’t straight. It has natural curves. When we properly sit and stand up straight, the spine is curved, which is often referred to as a neutral spine. Sometimes I refer to it as a balanced spine, that isn’t compressed or overextended.
Bad posture affects my confidence, pain levels, and overall health.
Proper posture looks like the combination of balance and stability. When working on a computer for long periods of time, I like to compare myself to a tree. Strong, but also able to move slightly, like a tree blowing in the wind. Not strong and stiff all day long, like a brick building. This would lead to poor posture from repetitive strain and overuse injuries.
Having good posture is very important to me. Repetitive strain injuries are still possible while we hold this position of good posture. Working in any one position for extended periods of time can lead to painful overuse injuries.
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But, as soon as we have poor posture, our risk of injury exponentially increases. These common postural problems include pain, tension, lack of energy, lack of focus, and lack of productivity. Poor posture can shift our center of gravity forward and overload our muscles and connective tissues. Reaching forward to use a keyboard and mouse makes us completely forget we have a back rest on our chair. We slouch forward, causing us to lose the natural curves in our spine. When we hold this position for 8 hours a day, it can cause chronic back, neck and shoulder pain.
The standard American desk chair is way too big for most of us. I’m 6’3″ tall. I weigh 205 pounds. The average chairs fit is even way too big for me, despite the ability to adjust height and width. Not only is it too big, using armrests proved to be destructive to the muscles and tendons in my neck and shoulder.
Photo by Michal Kubalczyk via Unsplash
We won’t get into redesigning ergonomic chairs today. Although, it’s on my list of things to do in the future. Sign up for my email newsletter here if you’d like to be notified of my future articles.
Today, I’m dedicating this article to explain the bad posture mistakes I used to make, related to using armrests while sitting on the chair. Nothing on my website is professional medical advice. It’s for educational purposes only. I share my experience, what has worked for me, and what hasn’t. I talk about the poor posture mistakes I’ve fixed and the good posture habits I’ve learned. You are your primary caretaker. Do your research and make good decisions. Be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare and sitting posture, specifically related to armrests height. Both height and width of office chair armrests have posed poor posture mistakes for me in the past.
The average computer user sits at a desk 8 hours a day, 40 hours per week, 2000 hours per year. We can’t keep talking about our poor sitting posture without taking action to fix it. Reducing pain caused by prolonged sitting is a very attainable goal. We just need to make small changes to our daily habits that will create the largest improvements over time. Today, I’m going to share a few simple cues that are easily actionable, for working both at a standing desk or in a sitting posture.
Nothing on my website is professional medical advice. It’s for educational purposes only. I share my experience, what has worked for me, and what hasn’t. I talk about the poor posture mistakes I’ve fixed and the good posture habits I’ve learned. You are your primary caretaker. Do your research and make good decisions. Be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare and sitting posture.
Standing desks have become very popular in recent years. When sitting all day, I would naturally slouch forward. This caused some spinal disc degeneration in my back. I’ve since changed my desk setup. It’s adjustable and can go between sitting and standing throughout the day. Working at a standing desk has decreased my back pain significantly. I don’t slouch forward anymore, which has put a pause on my spinal disc degeneration.
Photo by TheStandingDesk via Unsplash
I also feel generally better while using a standing desk. I’m at much less risk of weight gain, compared to when I was sitting all day. It has also helped improve my mood, energy levels, work productivity, and mental clarity.
When I shifted from a regular desk to a standing desk, it took some getting used to. Today, I am dedicating this article to show how I got used to working at a standing desk and how to get the most out of its benefits.
