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How to Have Good Posture at Your Desk

The majority of the employed population are required to work (while sitting at a desk) for a long period of time. Prolonged sitting and poor posture has caused me neck pain, back pain, headaches, and shoulder pain. The repetitive strain from sitting at a desk has also caused chronic tension and dysfunction in my muscles and tendons. All these not only affected my productivity at work, but also my quality of life away from my ergonomic office. Most of the factors that affected my posture were within my control. Once I learned how to correct them, they were not hard to change. But, these good posture habits took some commitment to maintain.

person using the computer to show good posture at your desk — Photo by Vojtech Okenka

How to Have Good Posture at Your Desk

Maintaining proper sitting posture is a life-long process. There are many variables to living a healthy lifestyle while sitting at a desk. Hydration, nutrition, breathing, body awareness, and self-healing are also some important variables when it comes to maintaining proper posture during a long day. I’ll get into those in more detail in other articles. Today, let’s start with how I changed some bad habits and got into a good posture position.

Sore Wrist From Typing

Typing for a long time used to cause pain and weakness in my wrists and forearms. Like many office workers, I suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s not uncommon to experience a sore wrist, both while typing plus when we leave our computer desks.

I’m dedicating this article to talk about why I used to get sore wrists from typing. I’ll also explain what to do about it, how I stopped it from hurting, and how I prevent it in the future.

Why Does it Hurt to Sit at a Computer?

We are literally just sitting there.

It’s called repetitive strain and overuse injuries. But what does that even mean?

Why Does it Hurt to Sit at a Computer? — Why does it hurt to sit at a computer? We are literally just sitting there.

This article will talk about what repetitive strain and overuse means. It will also give examples of how it happened in my personal experience. Finally, I’ll explain how I prevent those pains and injuries in the future.

Wrist Hurts From Computer Mouse

Working on computers, for long periods of time, used to break me down. I sat at a desk full-time for 11 years. I’d estimate 2,000 hours per year. So that’s at least 22,000 hours in just over a decade. It wasn’t easy to fix my computer pain. But it was attainable. I’ve fixed about 90% of my Carpal Tunnelrepetitive strain injuries caused by computer use.

It’s common to experience pain in several parts of the body. Shoulder rotator cuffs, neck, and lower back. Those come to mind first, from my personal experience.

Wrist Hurts From Computer Mouse — This article will talk about how I fixed my wrist pain that was caused by a tall, bulky computer mouse.

One of the most painful computer injuries I had was wrist pain, commonly known as carpal tunnel syndrome. It was actually one of the easier posture problems I fixed.

Repetitive movements and poor computer posture caused my wrists to hurt. Surprisingly, I actually fixed it by accident. And the wrist pain hasn’t come back since.

So today, I’m sharing a guide on how to deal with wrist pain from computer mouse use.

Why I Rotate Between Sitting, Standing, and Reclining at My Desk (for Better Posture & Energy)

Which is better, a sit desk or a stand desk?

I say, neither.

Because being able to use both is ideal.

Why I Rotate Between Sitting, Standing, and Reclining while working — If I can maintain correct elbow height, while supporting my torso and head well, I’ll sit in a reclined position similar to the one in this image. But I won’t sit like this all day. I’ll rotate working in multiple positions throughout the day. Image by Andrey Popov via Megapixl.

That’s why I choose a height-adjustable desk…

Because I like to work in different positions.

Somatic Breathwork for Computer Posture

Proper posture isn’t just about what position we work in. It’s how long we work in that position.

Repetitive strain and overuse injuries will be worse with bad posture. But tension and pain will still affect our postural muscles if we hold them activated in the same position for long periods of time (even if our posture is good).

Somatic Breathwork for Computer Posture — Somatic breathwork has been a valuable tool in my computer ergonomics practice.

The longer my work day is, the more my breathing suffers.

And when my breathing suffers, it can significantly impact my posture.

This article will talk about how I use somatic breathing for better computer posture.

How to Position Feet When Sitting at a Computer

I used to underestimate the importance of good posture, especially when it came to foot positioning. Besides, I was sitting in an office chair. I was hardly putting any weight on my feet. Does foot posture really matter? Could poor sitting posture really cause foot pain? I eventually found out the hard way. Foot positioning definitely matters.

The negative effects from poor foot posture caused multiple issues with my leg muscles and joints. Eventually, I would need 3 ankle surgeries to correct a torn tendon, bone chips, and bone spurs. All this was caused by poor foot posture while sitting in an office chair for long periods of time.

The above user’s feet on the left are a great example of the poor posture I used to have. Notice how his feet are underneath his body. I had to contract my hamstrings in order to pull my feet backward like that. Sitting with my hamstrings contracted for long periods of time led to them being very dominant over my quadriceps. The constant hamstring activation caused me to keep my knees bent so much that it overextended my quadriceps. My hamstrings got shorter and tighter. My quadriceps got longer and tighter. This caused a lot of muscle dysfunction, tension and pain.

1,000 Days Alcohol-Free: What I’ve Learned

The relationship I have with alcohol is much different than most people’s. It took me decades to figure it out.

I’ve never taken a sip of alcohol that tasted good. Alcohol was just a method for me to get a result. To meet people, to fit in, to make someone else happy, or comfortable. Whatever.

When most people drink, they relax, have fun, feel good.

I used to get those things when I drank, but only for a short window of time. It lasted a couple hours if I was lucky.

After that, alcohol had the exact opposite effect on me. Anxious, stressed, depressed. All this before I even went to sleep. Alcohol made me overanalyze everything.

Hip Discomfort While Sitting

Sitting at a desk is a compromised, vulnerable position for us to work in all day.

It’s so easy to overuse postural muscles that support our body. Any type of repetitive strain or overuse can cause an imbalance of energy. And maintaining that imbalance for long periods of time has affected me, both physically and mentally.

A lot of computer users don’t realize their hip flexors can actually be activated when sitting. I didn’t know this for many years, back when I sat with poor computer posture.

When it comes to sitting for a long time, the hips are among the most common sources of discomfort. You can ask any physical therapist that.

I’m going to talk about my personal experience with hip discomfort (caused by sitting). I’ll also give you some ideas for what you can do about it (they worked for me).

Posture Myths Exposed: Why “Sit Up Straight” and “Sitting Is the New Smoking” Are Wrong

Posture myths—it’s the BIGGEST scam in poor posture content.

And you know what it is:

“Sitting is the new smoking”
“Sit up straight”
“Do not slouch”

It’s the same recycled headlines, over and over. The writers rack up views by fear mongering. But they’ve never been stuck at a computer desk like us. 8 hours a day. 40 hours a week. 2000 hours a year. In high-stress jobs. In cut-throat industries.

Posture Myths Exposed: Why “Sit Up Straight” and “Sitting Is the New Smoking” Are Wrong — “Sitting is the new smoking” is a catchy headline and all, but what can we actually do to improve computer posture? My free eBook should be very helpful.

These myths never answer the questions…

“How do I improve posture at computer?”

“What is correct posture?”

Are Toe Socks Good For You and Do They Improve Posture

About 10 years ago, I thought toe socks were weird. But they grew on me. I’d heard multiple runners talk about how they improved their overall foot health. So I bought a few pairs. More on that later…

These days, toe socks are becoming increasingly popular in the wellness and fitness communities. My ergonomic thought process is to find as many small improvements as possible, then practice them on a daily basis.

But toe socks have not been a small improvement for me. They’ve made a huge difference to improve overall foot function.

Are Toe Socks Good For You and Do They Improve Posture — Foot position is an important variable of computer ergonomics. And anything that improves my foot health, is good for my computer posture. Not just for my feet, but throughout my legs, into my glutes and lower back.

Toe socks are more than just a weird style. They’re the most performance-enhancing clothing I’ve ever worn.

In this article, I’ll talk about my experience and the benefits of toe socks. I’ll also cover whether or not I think toe socks are good for you and your posture.

Laptop Monitor Neck Pain: Ergonomic Fixes for Better Posture

It took me 4 years to realize my mistake.

After using a laptop monitor everyday for 4 years, I finally realized it was causing neck and shoulder pain. This is because laptop monitors are too low. I would look down at my screen for 8 hours a day. Holding this poor posture all day was creating a terrible imbalance between the muscles on the front of my neck, and the muscles on the back of my neck.

Man using a laptop with bad posture | Laptop Monitor Neck Pain: Ergonomic Fixes for Better Posture — Check out the downward angle this user is looking at his laptop monitor with. This is causing multiple posture issues. These include slouching forward, forward head posture, unbalanced muscle tension, and spinal disc degeneration.

The muscles on the front of my neck shortened. The muscles on the back of my neck lengthened. This imbalance caused muscle tension, chronic pain, and dysfunction.

When it comes to office ergonomics, I want my posture to be as balanced and neutral as possible. I also want my actions to be symmetrical (except for using a mouse).

This article will share ergonomic fixes to maintain a neutral, symmetrical posture and ease neck pain while using a laptop monitor.

Ergonomic Laptop Setup: External Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse

I’ve been strictly using a laptop since 2005. A laptop is one of the most common tools people use when it comes to technology.

The ability to take it with us when we travel is super efficient. And that’s what office ergonomics is all about. It’s the study of people’s efficiency in their workplace.

Ergonomic Laptop Setup — This article will talk about what devices I use for my ergonomic laptop setup.

Laptops are also convenient when we’re working from home. Sometimes I’ll work from my standing desk. Others, I might kick back reclined on the couch, just to knock out a few action items on my laptop.

But, I make sure to maintain the natural curves in my spine while I’m reclined. Keeping a neutral spine is always important when I’m working on a laptop for long periods of time.

Laptops are lightweight, portable, and convenient to use. But its compact design can also force me to work in awkward postures.

So, today I’m sharing a guide on how to setup an ergonomic workstation with a laptop. It’ll also talk about other ergonomic devices that I use with it.

3 Benefits of Good Posture

Posture is the particular way that we hold our bodies. We could be holding our bodies like this consciously or subconsciously. Sometimes, you can correct your posture very easily. Other times, improving your posture can be extremely difficult. Sitting at a computer causes stubborn tension in our muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia.

Think about how many years you’ve been sitting at a computer desk for 40 hours per week. Healing our chronic pain, that’s caused by sitting at a computer, is a long and complex process. We’ll need to approach it from many different angles. The first step towards improving your posture is to increase your body awareness.

3 Benefits of Good Posture — This article will talk about 3 benefits I’ve gotten from good posture. These are decreased pain in muscles and joints, increased energy levels, improved mental clarity.

Good posture is important. Before we can have posture that is right, we need know what we are doing wrong. Posture can be a way that we sit, stand, and even lay down to sleep. It’s not so much the position we are in, but how long we are in that same position. That is why I make sure to take plenty of breaks at work. When I return from my break, I sit and stand, switching often, multiple times throughout my workday.

Maintaining good posture is important. It can affect our overall well-being in a big way. Bad posture affects us physically, as well as mentally. I’m very interested in the direct connection between physical, mental, and emotional stress. I’ll get more into this in another article.

Breaks at Work: The Secret to Pain-Free Computer Posture

Taking breaks at work is incredibly important. Especially when employees work 8 hours a day on a computer.

The longer I work in the exact same position without a break, the more risk for repetitive strain and overuse injuries. This means excessive muscle tension, chronic pain, and joint dysfunction.

Stepping out of my work area is not only beneficial for my physical health. It’s also important for my mental health, work productivity, and creativity.

Breaks at Work: The Secret to Pain-Free Computer Posture — This computer user must’ve had a “lunch and learn” at her desk today. A “lunch and learn” is when a company buys everyone lunch, but they must eat at their desk during meal periods, while taking an online training at the same time. Image by Kaspiic via Megapixl.

Breaks at work are crucial to have pain-free computer posture. Because working in the same exact position for long periods of time can cause computer pain. It doesn’t matter if our posture is good or bad.

I’m sharing this guide on how to maximize breaks at work for better, pain-free computer posture.

How to Avoid Lower Back Pain When Sitting

Correct sitting posture was a mystery to me for years. I just couldn’t understand why I’d get lower back pain when sitting. I wasn’t lifting something heavy. And I wasn’t under continuous impact, like running. And I didn’t fall on the ground and land hard.

I was sitting at a computer. Which is what a large majority of us do for a living. And lower back pain is one of the most common concerns among adults.

Yes, we may be sitting in a slouched position with poor posture. But we do it for long periods of time. That’s where we get in trouble.

Any time we use our hands in front of our body, we tend to naturally slouch forward. Even if I have good posture, it still makes me slouch forward slightly. Holding this position for long periods of time, it overextends my entire back. And my lower back is the end of the line. That’s where I’ll feel the most pressure. And that’s where I’m going to feel the pain first.

There are several factors that caused my chronic pain. Today, I’ll share a practical guide on how to avoid lower back pain when sitting.

Fixing Computer Posture: The Best Stretches and Strength Moves I Use Daily

I had a Zoom call with one of my newsletter readers.

He made a great point about computer posture.

Fixing Computer Posture: The Best Stretches and Strength Moves I Use Daily — There are 3 stretches and strength moves that have given me the most results, when it comes to decreasing my computer pain and tension.

He said…

“The 1 hour we spend in the gym at night, is really no match for the 8 hours we spend at a computer.”

It made me think…

To reverse my computer-related muscle tension…

What are the most valuable ways I can spend that short amount of time?

This article will talk about my 3 favorite ways to stretch, strengthen, and reverse muscle tension (that was caused by sitting at a computer).

Best Monitor Height for Neck Pain

Poor posture at a computer caused me to have stage 1 of spinal disc degeneration. My chiropractor told me it’s not reversible, but its progression could be stopped. I asked him what I had to do to stop it. He told me about the natural curves of the spine. And how the spine isn’t straight (from a side angle) when it’s in a neutral position.

Monitor Height and Eye Level: How I Fixed My Computer-Related Neck Pain — This article is part 10 of my Computer Posture Key Terms series. The terms are (1) monitor height and (2) eye level. Notice how this user is constantly looking at a downward angle to view her laptop monitor screen. This mistake caused stage 1 spinal disc degeneration in my neck.

This article is for all the computer users struggling with neck shoulder pain (the 2 often combine into the same injury). I’ll talk about the ideal position I keep my monitor height and eye level, in order to maintain a healthy spine, for both sitting and standing at a computer.

Elbows, Hips, and Knees: The “3 Joint Rule” I Use for Correct Sitting Posture

A straightforward method for using joint angles and chair height to reduce strain, prevent injuries, and improve posture.

Having the correct chair height is a critical part of my computer ergonomics process.

When analyzing my computer posture, I look at these 3 joints first:

→ Elbows, hips, and knees.

Can Chiropractic Care Improve Your Computer Posture?

I’m always trying different ways to improve my computer posture. But chiropractic care is something I’ve been taking advantage of for many years. I started going to a chiropractor back in 2005. In my experience, chiropractic care has definitely improved my computer posture.

Chiropractic Care: person getting a massage on his neck — Can chiropractic care improve your computer posture? Photo by vectorfusionart via Megapixl.

My body gets pulled out of alignment on a daily basis. In addition to sitting at a computer for hours a day, working at my standing desk also causes computer-related pain. Sitting isn’t the only enemy when it comes to computer ergonomics. Working in the same vulnerable position for long periods of time is what causes repetitive strain and overuse injuries, regardless if we’re sitting or standing.

When my muscles get overused and tight, they pull on the tendons that attach muscle to bones. The tendons then pull the bones out of alignment. Right now, I go to my chiropractor once a week on average, regardless if I’m in pain or not. I don’t plan on going once a week forever. That’s just the amount of chiropractic treatment that’s best for me right now with my current healing practice. The longer I put off going to a chiropractor, the more I suffer from muscle tension and pain.