SittingPosture.com

Back pain is a common issue for those of us who spend long periods of time at a computer.

❓But why does our back hurt from sitting?

We aren’t taking any hard impact, like running, or falling on the ground.

We aren’t lifting anything heavy, which is another obvious cause of back pain.

“Sit up straight” isn’t good enough advice anymore. We need to really understand what we’re doing wrong, before we can correct our sitting posture.

I’ve learned that 3 mistakes contributed the most to my (computer-related) back pain. This article will describe those posture mistakes, as well as 3 different solutions to help us maintain a neutral spine while sitting at a computer.

Continue reading How to Maintain a Neutral Spine at a Computer

I was thinking the other day…how much money have I spent to correct my poor computer posture?

It would not be easy to estimate. Because the dollar amount would be A LOT. 💸

From 2002 to 2015, I made a living while sitting at a computer full-time (40+ hours a week).

In 2011, I finally started taking accountability for my bad computer posture.

I’ve done a lot of professional treatments since then.

These include chiropractic care, acupuncture, physical therapy, deep tissue release, cryotherapy, the list goes on…

I won’t list everything I’ve done.

I can’t give an estimated dollar amount either.

But it’s definitely in the 5 figures range. Easily more than $20k, since 2011. 💸

Continue reading Cost of Bad Computer Posture: How I Spent $20K Fixing Desk‑Induced Pain (and the Free Habits that Work Better)

Sleep isn’t just for rest. It’s one of the most overlooked variables of computer ergonomics. 💻

If we’re not sleeping well, our body doesn’t recover properly. That means we wake up tight, tired, and already behind on muscle recovery from yesterday. 😴

Before we even open our laptop in the morning, poor sleep quality can lead to stiff joints, inflamed muscles, and the same slouched computer posture we’ve been trying to fix for years. 😫

This article talks about my 5 favorite ways to optimize my sleep environment for better computer ergonomics. 💤

Continue reading Optimizing Your Sleep Environment for Better Computer Ergonomics

I would guess about 98% of people think “sit up straight” is good advice.

But 2% of us (the red pill takers) want to know exactly what “sit up straight” means.

(sorry for the red pill reference, I just watched The Matrix 4) 😂

For those that don’t know, the red pill versus blue pill metaphor represents a choice we have to make. It originated in The Matrix movie from 1999.

“Taking the red pill” means accepting a painful, but potentially life-changing truth.

While “taking the blue pill” would mean remaining in a state of comfortable, blissful ignorance.

Continue reading Sit Up Straight? ➡️ Red Pill or Blue?

My name is Todd Bowen. I’m a lifelong athlete and exerciser. 

In a previous life, I played basketball, baseball, and beach volleyball. 🏀 ⚾️ 🏐

These days, I stay active with a balance of weightlifting and hot yoga. 🏋️‍♂️ 🧘‍♂️

I’m also extremely passionate about muscle recovery. ❤️‍🩹

I have a degree in Information Technology. Ergonomics was my favorite topic. Probably because of my interest in athletics. 🤓

In 2022, I stopped eating fast-food and seed oils completely. 

In the first 3 months of eating clean, I lost 45 pounds! It was eye-opening! 😳

My all-around quality of life improved tremendously. Especially when it came to my computer posture. 

Continue reading Get to Know Me: From Athlete to Computer Posture Expert – How I Fixed My Office Pain

Our computer posture benefits directly from good sleep!

The earlier in the day we get tired, the quicker our computer posture suffers.

Ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiency in the workplace.

And computer ergonomics isn’t just about posture.

It’s about our sleep, hydration, breathing, and nutrition habits working together.

Creating a sleep-friendly environment sets me up for success the next day, before my head even hits the pillow at night!

Continue reading Healthy Sleep Habits for Better Computer Posture

Here’s my most controversial sitting posture tip:

👉 “Sit up straight” is bad advice.

Nobody talks about this. And it always surprises me.

Instead, I say: 

👍 “Sit with an upright torso. While maintaining a neutral, balanced spine, with its natural curves intact.”

Continue reading My Most Controversial Sitting Posture Tip

I first experienced knee pain back in 2011.

I stopped running and weightlifting for 6 months, but the pain persisted.

Why? ⁉️

Because I was still sitting at a computer with incorrect knee position for 8 hours daily! 😖

This article will talk about what exactly caused my computer knee pain. It’ll also go over how to fix those computer posture mistakes.

Continue reading Computer Knee Pain: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

It’s ironic that using a computer causes back pain.

I’m not lifting heavy weights. Or withstanding impact, like running or falling down (which are all common causes of back pain).

I’m literally just sitting in a chair! 😢

So why exactly does computer use cause back pain? Read this rest of this article to learn why, as well as how to fix it.

Continue reading Computer Back Pain: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

Wrist pain from computer use can be a real nightmare!

But I discovered mine was totally fixable with a couple easy ergonomic changes!

Carpal tunnel syndrome is when a nerve in the wrist gets compressed.

This can cause pain, numbness, and tingling.

Continue reading How to Avoid Computer Wrist Pain

I want my computer workstation to be an asset that promotes good posture as soon as I sit (or stand).

Not a liability that creates posture mistakes immediately.

The key to preventing most of my computer posture problems lies in 3 simple ergonomic adjustments. They apply regardless if I’m working at a sitting or standing workstation.

This article will talk about those proper computer ergonomics.

Continue reading Proper Computer Ergonomics

I used to think foot positioning, while sitting at a computer, was no big deal.

After all, I was in an office chair—barely putting weight on my feet, right?

Wrong!

I found out the hard way when poor foot posture led to THREE ankle surgeries for a torn tendon, bone chips, and bone spurs. Ouch! 😫

I tore the tendon playing basketball. But long before that day, I had major ankle dysfunction that caused me to twist my ankle.

And that dysfunction was caused by not keeping my ankles in a neutral position, while sitting at a computer for years.

Continue reading Does Foot Position at a Computer Matter?

The Hidden Problem for Desk Workers

A lot of office workers don’t even know this. One of their biggest problems is excessive internal shoulder rotation.

It’s caused by holding a keyboard and mouse for long periods of time. This causes weak muscles and limited movement throughout the shoulders.

I was years into my good computer posture journey before accidentally discovering how dysfunctional my shoulders were (during a CrossFit class).

One day, I went to do an overhead squat with an empty (45 pound) bar. I could barely hold the bar above my head. Much less do a squat in that position.

This is when I realized my external shoulder rotation was very limited and weak. And my internal rotation was excessive. It was a very big problem.

Continue reading Internal Shoulder Rotation and Computer-Related Pain

Most office chairs are simply too big, even for my 6’3″ frame!

Incorrect armrest positioning caused me painful shoulder and neck problems that took forever to heal.

I want to save you that trouble.

This article will talk about ways to position armrests correctly. It also talks about how to support your arms when the armrests are too low and too wide.

Continue reading How to Use Office Chair Armrests

The standard American desk chair is way too big for most of us. I’m 6’3″ and 200 pounds. These chairs are even way too big for me.

Working at a computer 8 hours a day is hard enough on our bodies. But armrests caused me unnecessary repetitive strain injuries in my shoulders, chest, and neck.

This article will talk about the 3 main reasons that office chair armrests are problematic for good computer posture. It will talk about multiple posture issues armrests create if they cannot be adjusted to the correct position.

Continue reading Why are Office Chair Armrests Bad for Computer Posture?

From 2002 to 2011, I sat with poor computer posture at a high-stress sales job. 

Despite being a life-long athlete, sitting in that compromised position caused the most stubborn injuries I’ve ever had. 

Before starting my career, I got an Information Technology degree in 2001. Which even included a class in Ergonomics.

But having a sedentary lifestyle for the next 9 years still crushed me, both physically and mentally.

Slouching forward for 8 hours a day caused chronic pain and excessive muscle tension. I had dysfunction in my back, neck, knees, wrists, the list goes on.

Continue reading What happened after sitting at a computer for 9 years?

Computer work causes excessive muscle tension and chronic pain. It requires us to work in a sitting or standing posture for long periods of time. This makes our muscles, tendons, and ligaments incredibly tight and stiff. These issues are known as repetitive strain and overuse injuries.

But how do we fix this computer-related pain? How do we counteract this muscle dysfunction?

Living a pain-free life, while still working on a computer, is very possible. We just need to make small improvements to our daily habits. Then practice them on a consistent basis.

This article is about my favorite posture exercises for office workers. They require both stretching and strengthening in the same repetition. I use a weight that’s called a steel mace.

Continue reading Posture Exercises for Office Workers

Even as a life-long athlete, I rarely used to stretch when I was younger. And I’m paying the price for it now. Especially due to the excessive muscle tension I’ve gotten from a sedentary lifestyle.

As I’ve gotten into my late 40’s, I stretch just about every day. But for me, it’s not always about how intense and painful the stretch is. I often get great results from light-intensity, long-duration stretches. I make sure to focus on my breathing slowly and deeply.

This article will talk about how I combat repetitive strain injuries with 2 of my favorite stretches. One is called a door stretch. The other is called a cactus yoga pose, which I get the best results from while laying flat on the floor.

Continue reading Posture Stretches for Office Workers

I used to make painful computer posture mistakes when it came to monitor height. I would use a laptop monitor 8 hours a day. Laptop monitors are too small and too low. This caused me a lot of eye and neck strain. That neck strain would contribute to the painful headaches I used to get.

Once I realized using a laptop monitor wasn’t ergonomic, I switched to an external monitor. But I also kept that monitor height too low. I didn’t raise my external monitor up to the correct height until after the first couple years I had it.

The proper monitor height is one of the most important variables of computer ergonomics. It’s helped me prevent:

• eye strain
• neck strain
• headaches
• slouching forward
• spinal disc degeneration

This article will focus on reducing eye and neck strain with correct monitor placement. Which is actually a pretty simple fix.

Continue reading What is the Proper Monitor Height to Prevent Eye and Neck Strain?

I used to slouch forward at a computer from 2002 to 2011. It’s one of the most destructive things I’ve ever done to my body. I worked in this poor posture for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Since then, maintaining a neutral spine at my workstation hasn’t been easy. But I can say that it’s possible to come back from years of slouching at a computer desk. We just need to make small posture improvements and practice them on a consistent, daily basis.

This article will provide a list of what I require for my ergonomic desk setup for better posture. It will also go over proper computer posture tips to prevent slouching forward.

Continue reading How to Avoid Slouching While Working on a Computer