Proper posture is an important variable of computer ergonomics. Poor posture, during prolonged sitting, exponentially increased my computer-related pain.
It’s easy to lose control of your posture when you’re at your desk. Staying in one position all day, focusing on your task at hand, even when you have correct posture, can still lead to repetitive strain and overuse injuries.
But poor posture can lead to more serious conditions in the future. Despite all the physical activity in my life, some of the worst injuries I’ve ever had were caused by sitting at a computer.
So today, I’m sharing a round up of simple stretches that can help improve posture at work. They’ve been helpful to me, regardless if the muscle tension was caused by a sitting or standing desk.
Simple Stretches to Improve Posture at Work
I’m going to talk about the benefits of stretching for posture. The human body is adaptable to many things. One of the most important things I’ve learned is how to balance strengthening versus stretching. They’re both equally important, especially to improve posture at computer.
This post can help readers improve their posture at work, through a few of my favorite stretches. These are stretches I’ve found that work the best for me, an athlete who works at a computer 8 hours a day.
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, physical therapist, or personal trainer. I’m not recommending these stretches for readers specifically. I’m simply talking about my personal experience, posture mistakes I made, and good posture habits I’ve learned.
Does Stretching Help With Posture at Work
Stretching is definitely helpful for how to improve posture while sitting at computer.
Repetitive strain and overuse causes muscles to get very tight. But experts often talk about the benefits of stretching for posture. These benefits include:
- improves flexibility and mobility
- improve muscle activation
- improve blood flow throughout soft tissues
- reduce muscle tension and relieve discomfort
- improves overall health of the muscles
- supports better posture
How Can Stretching Improve Your Posture And Balance At Work
Releases chronically tight muscles
We constantly, chronically overuse certain postural muscles at our desks all day. These muscles get tighter and tighter. The more time I spend in a low-intensity, long-duration stretch, the more it releases my chronically tight muscles from poor computer posture.
Improves range of motion and flexibility
The more I stretch, the better I can move. It doesn’t only improve my movements at a computer, but also during exercise, and every day movements.
Enhances muscle balance
Poor computer posture creates a huge imbalance of energy between the anterior vs posterior muscles in the human body. The muscles on the front of my neck shortened, while the muscles on the back of my neck lengthened. My chest muscles got compressed, but my upper back muscles were overextended. My hamstrings shortened from poor foot position, while my quadriceps lengthened.
Stretching is a great way for me to equal out these unbalanced energies.
Reduces tension and mental fatigue
We’re only allotted a certain amount of energy each day. And we have to divide that between physical and mental energy. The more tension my muscles have, the more energy they suck from my mental gas tank.
Stretching reduces tension, which essentially provides more energy for my day, both physically and mentally.
Support better balance
Computer work is an asymmetrical action. My left side stays stuck typing in the same position all day, while my right side types, clicks the mouse, writes on paper, answers the phone. These actions create an imbalance. And this imbalance is better supported when I stretch.
Simple Stretches For Better Posture at Work
I focus on my breathing while stretching
I always talk about breathing and stretching exercises at the same time. They must both be done simultaneously. As soon as I feel a stretch, I want to improve my breathing, slowly and deeply.
This means 4 things to me:
- Increasing the amount air that goes through my lungs
- Increasing the amount of time that air spends in my lungs
- Ironically, this means taking less breaths (but longer breaths than normal)
- I focus on nasal breathing as much as possible (both inhale and exhale)
Number 4 is a personal preference. I used to suffer from overused jaw muscles, due to being a chronic mouth breather most of my life. If I open my mouth to exhale every single breath, that’s a ton of strain on my small jaw muscles.
I’ve done much work on my breathing over the years. One thing that was very helpful, I learned breath work while I was not stretching. I was either laying on the couch, in bed, watching TV, any kind of situation that was very relaxed. Preferably when I was laying down. If I had to sit up straight when I was working on my breathing, I’d do it. But it wasn’t ideal.
Once I got better at breathing slower and deeper, only then would I do low-intensity, long-duration stretches.
Yoga cactus pose (while laying flat on the ground)
This is my favorite chest stretch to counterbalance poor computer posture. It also relieves my excessive internal shoulder rotation. (caused by holding a keyboard and mouse for long periods of time.
Here’s how I do a yoga cactus pose (while laying down):
- I lay flat on the floor, arms by my sides, palms facing up.
- My shoulder blades are back and down.
- I slowly raise my arms up toward my head, keeping them in contact with the ground, until they are even with my shoulders, perpendicular to my torso.
- Then, I bend my elbows until they are at a 90 degree angle. My upper arms are still perpendicular to my torso, but my forearms are parallel to my torso.
- I breathe slow and deep.
- I hold this position for up to 5 minutes sometimes.
After sitting at a computer 8 hours a day, low-intensity, long-duration stretches are what help me the most. And the yoga cactus pose (on the floor) is my favorite stretch for computer tension.
Door stretch
I can’t get as relaxed doing a door stretch, compared to a yoga cactus pose on the floor. But the door stretch is convenient when I can’t lay on the floor. I can do it standing in a doorway.
It is also a chest opener, which reduces strain on my internal shoulder rotation.
Here’s how I do a door stretch:
- I stand in a doorway.
- I place my elbows on the doorframe and even with my shoulder level.
- I slowly lean my body forward through the doorway to intensify the stretch.
- Bend your knees slightly.
- Tuck your chin slightly.
- Lightly activate your core muscles.
- I breathe slow and deep.
- I hold this position anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute.
The door stretch is more intense than a cactus yoga pose, so I don’t do the door stretch for as long.
Hamstring stretch
Poor foot position at a computer caused me to be hamstring-dominant. Which basically means my hamstrings got very tight and deactivated.
The basic hamstring, toe your toes stretch is valuable to me. Especially when I’ve been sitting at my computer for long periods of time. And it can conveniently be done pretty much anywhere.
Here’s how I do a hamstring stretch:
- I stand tall, slowly bending my torso forward.
- I let my arms relax and hang towards my toes, as my hamstrings gently feel a stretch.
- I breathe slow and deep.
- After a short amount of time, I’ll lean more weight into my left leg, while reaching lower with my left hand. Then I’ll balance back out, and do the same with my right side.
- I hold this position anywhere from 30 seconds up to a minute.
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Whenever you’re ready, click here to snag your Computer Posture Checklist.
Thanks for your interest in computer posture.
Todd Bowen – Computer Posture Correction and Pain-Free Ergonomics: For Office Workers Who Want to Increase Work Productivity