Proper Posture for Computer: A Computer Posture Checklist

Proper posture is an important variable of computer ergonomics. It can get complex. But I try to explain my personal experience as simply as possible. That’s why I created my Computer Posture Checklist.

Having a proper posture for every activity can help prevent pain and discomfort. Especially when it comes to sitting position at a computer. But it’s not the position we are in, it’s the long periods of time that we’re holding that position.

It’s not uncommon to sit in front of a computer all day. Sitting at a computer is an endurance event every day we go to work. Because some of our muscles may be constantly deactivated all day long. But others are constantly, chronically overused. Understanding this is one of the most valuable lessons I learned in how to improve posture while sitting at computer.

In this article, I’m sharing a guide on how to have a proper sitting posture, as well as standing posture, when working in front of the computer. Because sitting doesn’t have to be the new smoking. The better my posture is, and the more positions I work in throughout the day, the less computer related pain I have.

Proper Posture for Computer: A Computer Posture Checklist

It can be difficult to figure out what the best posture is. In my opinion, we should be working in multiple different positions throughout the day. Then, we can figure out how to improve posture at computer, for each of those different positions.

What Can You Do to Improve Your Posture

There are many small improvements you can make to improve your computer posture. The real magic happens when we practice those improvements over a consistent, daily basis.

Here are some of my favorite good posture tips:

Take note of how you sit at your desk.

Realizing the posture mistakes I made was the first step to improving my posture. Because I needed to know what I was doing wrong, before I could correct it.

I keep straight wrists and forearms at least parallel to the floor.

Ideally, my elbows will be at angles of more than 90 degrees. I never want my elbows to drop below desk level. I like to keep my elbows slightly above my desk level. This would relax my upper arms, leaving my forearms at a slight downward angle (when going from elbow to wrist).

I keep my keyboard and mouse within a comfortable arm s length.

I used to make the mistake of overreaching forward with my arms. This led to a ton of compressed tension in my chest, plus overextended, lengthened muscles in my upper back.

I keep my feet flat on the floor.

A common mistake is when the user contracts their hamstrings, to pull their feet underneath their chair. This was a painful posture mistake for me. It caused me to become hamstring dominant. My hamstrings shortened from repetitive strain and overuse. It created a terrible unbalanced energy throughout my leg muscles, as well as joint dysfunction in my knees, ankles, and hips. All this could’ve been avoided, if I would’ve kept my feet flat.

I adjust my computer monitor until the top of the monitor is at my eye level.

This is the best neutral position for my neck. Looking downward at a low, laptop monitor screen is a bad thing. But holding that compromised position, for long periods of time, made it exponentially worse for me. This tip was very valuable in stopping the progression of my spinal disc degeneration.

These are just a few examples of posture tips from my Computer Posture Checklist. Scroll down to learn more about it.

Checklist for Computer Posture

You can snag the Computer Posture Checklist I created by visiting SittingPosture.com/checklist.

It’s a 4 page PDF download that only costs $20.

I made the checklist as easy-to-consume as possible. With the minimal amount of posture info, that will lead to the most results.

The checklist contains all 27 posture cues I use to improve my computer ergonomics.

My Computer Posture Checklist covers both sitting and standing positions for a computer workstation.

You can access your checklist immediately on the thank you page (after your payment is processed). Make sure to enter your email address correctly on the order form. Because your checklist will also be emailed to you as a backup.