Getting into a correct posture position doesn’t have to be complex. The hard part is to maintain good posture for long periods of time. Especially, when we’re sitting standing at a computer.
Good posture is more than standing up straight. It affects the way my muscles, spine, and joints function throughout the day.
Poor posture often develops gradually from sitting habits, screen use, and weak postural muscles. It causes repetitive strain and overuse injuries. This poor posture can lead to a massive amount of discomfort over time. And learning how to avoid this is a good idea.
In this article, I’m sharing a guide on how to maintain good posture using simple habits and lifestyle adjustments.
How to Keep Good Posture
Good posture is a habit shaped by muscle strength, ergonomics, and repetition over time. But it’s important not to hold your body in the exact same static posture for long periods of time. For example, I like to switch through different working positions multiple times a day (sitting, standing, partially reclined).
Maintaining good posture requires consistent awareness of body alignment. It can be attained through small daily adjustments, rather than major lifestyle changes.
Eventually, good posture became a natural part of my everyday movement, instead of a conscious effort of steady awareness and practical, sustainable changes.
What is Good Posture
Good posture refers to a neutral alignment of the body, where stress on muscles, tendons, and ligaments is minimized. It’s also important that the spine maintains its natural curves without excessive rounding or arching.
What Does Good Posture Look Like
Good posture obviously varies in different positions. But regardless, the body should remain balanced and free from unnecessary strain to improve posture at computer, no matter the position.
Sitting at a Computer
When I’m sitting at a computer, I make sure that my:
- Spine is neutral with natural curves intact
- Top of the monitor is even with my eye level
- Elbow height is slightly above wrists
- Hip level is slightly higher than knees
- Feet are flat on the floor (or a footrest, if necessary)
Standing at a Computer
A lot of the above variables also apply when I stand up straight at a computer. I make sure that my:
- Spine is neutral with natural curves intact
- Leg and core muscles are evenly, lightly activated
- Top of the monitor is even with my eye level
- Elbow height is slightly above wrists
- Feet are flat on the floor
Reclined (Partially) at a Computer
I know what you’re thinking. “Reclined isn’t proper posture.” I’m not saying it is. But after long hours of sitting at a desk, I still want to be productive. And one way that I do that is to partially recline my torso comfortably.
It reduces some of the physical energy necessary to support my torso. Instead, I take that energy and use it for my mental creativity (especially at the end of the day).
But I still make sure that my:
- Spine is supported by my chair in a neutral position, with its natural curves intact
- Eye level may not be at the top of the screen, but my neck is still in a healthy position (not looking down)
- Head is supported by my desk chair
- Elbows are slightly above desk level
Why is Good Posture Important
Reduced neck, shoulder, and back pain
My neck shoulder combination got incredibly overused and tight from sitting at a computer. I held so much stress in that area.
Improved breathing efficiency due to open chest positioning
I recently went to see an eastern medicine doctor. He takes a manual healing approach. He told me my diaphragm was blocked. Soft tissue connected to my rib cage wasn’t allowing my diaphragm to extend all the way down. He was able to release the soft tissue with his hands and my breathing improved remarkably.
I had no idea that a blocked diaphragm was even a thing. But it was caused due to my chest being held in a closed position (for long periods of time) when sitting at a computer with poor posture. Little known issues like this make correct posture important to me.
Better spinal alignment and reduced joint stress
I thought “sitting up straight” was a good thing no matter what. But there is such thing as sitting up “too straight.” I learned this from experience. I overextended my spine and its natural curves flattened out. In some ways, it caused more postural issues than when I used to slouch forward.
And everything in the body is connected. The spine, tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones, fascia, etc. Any spinal issues I had would cause a chain reaction throughout my body, especially into my joint function.
Increased energy levels from reduced muscle strain
We’re only allotted a certain amount of energy per day. And that amount is divided up between physical and mental energy. When my poor posture took more of my physical energy away (due to muscle strain), it left me with less mental energy to be productive and creative.
Lower risk of long-term postural imbalances
The longer I held a posture, the more postural issues I would have. Sitting isn’t necessarily the enemy. It’s also how good our posture is and how long we stay in that same position. That’s what causes repetitive strain and overuse injuries.
How to Maintain Good Posture
How to Keep Good Posture When Sitting
When I’m sitting at a computer, I make sure that my:
- Spine is neutral with natural curves intact
- Top of the monitor is even with my eye level
- Elbow height is slightly above wrists
- Hip level is slightly higher than knees
- Feet are flat on the floor (or a footrest, if necessary)
How to Keep Good Posture All Day
The best way to NOT keep good posture all day, is to work in the exact same position all day.
To keep good posture all day, I switch between different working positions (multiple times per day).
Because even with perfect posture, working in the same position all day will still cause repetitive strain and overuse injuries.
How to Keep Good Posture While Reading
My neck is the most important ergonomic variable when I’m reading. I avoid holding the book down low (in my lap, for example). This would cause the same neck tension and dysfunction as looking at a phone would.
I try to hold the book higher, while also supporting my arms. This helps to reduce repetitive strain and overuse in my arm muscles, while also saving my neck from looking down at an excessive angle.
How to Keep Good Posture at Work
The most important thing for me is to work in multiple different position throughout the day. It doesn’t matter if I sit too long or stand too long. Each one can possibly cause different postural issues.
How to Keep Good Posture While Sleeping
My poor posture at a computer didn’t automatically go away soon as I left my desk for the day. It stayed with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even when I went to sleep.
Sleep with a neutral spine, with natural curves intact
This is also important for sleeping, just like when sitting at a computer. I may not put as much pressure on my spine when I sleep, but it’s still vulnerable if I sleep in a poor posture. Sleeping with a neutral spine is an important part of my ergonomic process on how to improve posture while sitting at computer.
Consistent sleep schedule
This helps our muscles recover optimally, which allows you to strengthen your muscles with dynamic posture moves the next day. This sets us up for good muscle activation and proper computer posture.
To do a deeper dive how sleep can help you improve your posture at a computer, check out my article titled Good Sleeping Posture.
How to Keep a Good Posture While Walking
focus on breathing deep
Walking is a great movement for me. Walking, while focusing on breathing is even better. I’m not only getting my circulation going, but I’m getting as much oxygen in my lungs as possible.
torso tall and shoulders upright
Not slouching forward at a computer will always be a goal of my ergonomics practice. Walking is an easy opportunity to get in movement, while correcting the posture of my torso into an upright position.
Good Posture Exercises
These are the 3 best exercises I use to get the best desk posture.
Yoga cactus pose (while laying flat on the floor)
Cactus pose is very popular in yoga. It’s usually done while standing up, with arms at 90 degree angles (like a cactus).
I do a modified version of it. It’s the same pose, except I do it laying flat on the floor. It’s a light-intensity, long-duration hold. Which in my opinion, is the best way to counter balance slouching forward at a computer (for 8 hours a day).
I hold this cactus stretch for long durations. Up to 5 minutes at a time.
I started off just doing 1 minute. But the longer I’m in this position, the more it releases my excessive internal shoulder rotation (caused by holding a keyboard and mouse). It’s the best stretch I’ve found for relieving that shoulder overuse.
I always focus on my breathing while doing this pose. I make sure to breathe slower and deeper. In and out through my nose. That’s just my personal preference, because I’m a recovering mouth breather. And doing nasal-only breath work helps me relax my jaw and face muscles more.
As I breathe, I let gravity pull my arms and shoulders down. Allowing them to “melt” into the floor, more and more as the minutes go by.
This also helps my spine pull back into its neutral position. Because when I’d slouch forward at a computer, my vertebrae would turn forward slightly. Even when I left my computer for the day, my spine would still be pulled into that compromised position by my muscle tension.
Yoga stick
This is not paid promotion. This yoga stick is an inexpensive product I bought off Amazon. It’s helped me reverse my computer posture tension, including stretching my shoulders.
In the below image, I’m doing a stretch with a yoga stick.
I do this stretch with my yoga stick for usually 30 to 60 seconds. It’s great for my upper body (especially my upper back and shoulders). It counter balances the tension I have from slouching forward at my computer.
I make sure to focus on my breathing during all stretches. But especially this one. Because it’s a stretch I’ve never felt before.
I want to increase the amount of air going into my lungs, as well as the amount of time that air spends in my lungs. Ironically, this means taking less number of breaths, by breathing slower and deeper than normal.
Steel Mace 360 For Fixing Computer Posture
If I could only do 1 strength exercise for the rest of my life, it would be the “steel mace 360.”
A steel mace is shaped like a kettlebell, except it doesn’t have the same handle. Instead, the weight is at the end of a barbell-style rod. A steel mace is also commonly referred to as a macebell.
Regardless how conscious I am of my computer posture, I still tend to slouch forward sometimes.
The steel mace 360 exercise helps release my tension from slouching. Because you would raise your arms as the weight travels behind you. Then strengthen your core as you bring the weight back in front of you.
It opens up my front lines, stretching my compressed chest (which was caused by slouching forward and holding a keyboard and mouse for long periods).
This exercise also activates my back muscles, in the exact opposite way that slouching forward does.
It’s the perfect combination of a “strength + stretching” exercise, for me and my athletic, sedentary lifestyle.
Here’s a video of me doing the steel mace 360.This is what the steel mace 360 looks like. It’s the 1 strengthening exercise I would do, if I had to choose 1 for the rest of my life.
The first steel mace I bought was 10 pounds. I could do the 360 with it at first, but the movements were very slow. So I dropped down and bought a 7 pound steel mace. I was able to learn the movement a lot better with that. As the movements got quicker, I moved back up to the 10 pound steel mace. That’s the weight I use the most these days. I also have a 15 pound steel mace. But that’s pretty heavy. I’ll use it occasionally for low reps, just to switch things up.
Thanks for your interest in computer posture.
Todd Bowen – Computer Posture Correction and Pain-Free Ergonomics: For Office Workers Who Want to Fix Their Sitting Pain
P.S. If you’ve read this far down the article, you’ll love my digital store.
🙏 Thank you for supporting my work. -Todd