Bad posture used to demoralize me. Not only physically, but also mentally. I sat with poor posture at a computer for 9 years. Not just a few hours a week. It was a full-time job in a toxic, high-stress office environment.
Poor posture is something many people deal with daily. Whether it is slouching at a desk, looking down at a phone, or feeling constant tension in the neck and shoulders.
These habits caused my lower back and neck pain. For more on those specific areas, check out the article I wrote about how to prevent back and neck pain.
Posture problems like these often develop gradually, which makes it difficult to recognize what is actually causing it.
Because most of my computer-related pain was never caused in the same muscle that was hurting. Muscles get tight, which pulls on the tendon(s) that connect that muscle to bone. Which is where I usually felt the pain first (in the tendon). My tight muscles were the cause. And the painful, inflamed tendon was the effect.
Identifying the root causes were key to making lasting improvements (instead of temporary fixes).
And so today, I’m sharing a round up of reasons that caused my bad posture and how I fixed them effectively.
Why is My Posture So Bad?
Posture impacted more than just how I look.
It was directly linked to my:
- back pain
- reduced mobility
- fatigue
- breathing efficiency
- work productivity
Most posture issues come from repeated daily habits (rather than a single cause). How you position your body is very important. It doesn’t matter if I stand sit or lie, there are always (simple) best practices that can help improve your posture.
Consistent effort and small changes, to your routine, can help improve your posture, reduce discomfort, and prevent long-term issues.
What is Considered Bad Posture
Bad posture refers to any position that is causing excessive muscle tension and chronic pain. Even good posture, when you hold your body in the same position for long periods, can cause repetitive strain and overuse injuries.
But when my posture was bad, it made my tension and pain exponentially worse.
Notice how the user’s torso (in the above photo) is slouching forward. He’s lost the natural curves of his spine. I call this a “candy cane spine.” He also has forward head posture, because his neck is working overtime to support his head way in front of his torso. He also has poor foot position, because his feet are not flat on the floor. I did this for years. It caused excessive overuse of my hamstrings, which caused pain and dysfunction throughout my legs, even into my lower back.
The user in the above image is looking down at an excessive angle. It’s not a big deal to work like this in short bursts. But holding this compromised position for long periods is where I got in trouble.
To have proper posture while using a laptop, I always use an external monitor when I’m working in my home office.
If I’m traveling, I will use a laptop stand to raise my laptop screen. But, I’ll also use an external keyboard and mouse. I don’t use my laptop keyboard and mouse when it’s on a laptop stand. That would cause me to lift my hands up and hold them in the air, which would cause all kinds of repetitive strain in my arms, chest, shoulders, and upper back.
How Common is Bad Posture
Bad posture is very common, yet complex. A lot of people know they have it. But they’re so used to it, they don’t make correct posture a priority.
Bad posture is extremely common due to modern lifestyle habits. Increased screen time and sedentary work are major contributors. Remote work and phone usage have increased posture problems.
How to Check Your Posture
I ask myself a few questions to make sure I sit properly.
Are my elbows slightly above my desk level?
This helps me keep my elbows and wrists in a neutral position. It prevents overuse of my biceps and wrist muscles.
Is the top of my monitor screen even with my eye level?
This helps prevent forward head posture. Which used to cause me to lose the natural curves throughout my entire spine. It starts in the cervical spine, which is a chain reaction into the thoracic spine, even into the lumbar region too.
Are my hips slightly higher than my knees?
This doesn’t only keep my hips in a neutral position. It also reduces overuse of my abdominal muscles when sitting in an office chair.
Are my feet flat on the floor (or a footrest)?
This prevents hamstring overuse. It also prevents poor knee and ankle function (speaking from a very painful personal experience).
What Causes Bad Posture
Chair too low
When I sat with my chair too low, it caused multiple problems. My hips were to low. So were my elbows. This 2 errors made me slouch my torso forward. I’d also pull my feet underneath my chair. Basically, imagine resting them on the balls of your feet only.
It’s amazing how one posture problem (of having my chair too low) caused multiple other computer posture issues.
Desk height incorrect
Chair height and desk height are 2 variables that I use together. It my desk is height-adjustable, I still make sure my chair height is correct first (hips, knees, and ankles in a neutral position).
Then, I adjust my desk height until it is slightly below my elbows. The goal isn’t to sit straight and tall, because that can lead to overcorrection (which caused me just as much pain as slouching forward). The goal is to sit neutral and balanced.
Monitor too low
This is one of the most common, yet easily fixable, computer posture mistakes.
Above is an example of a user with his monitor too low. I used to work off my laptop monitor (like this) for years. It caused chronic neck pain and dysfunction. I was able to fix it, but it took a lot of hard work. This first step is to stop using laptop monitors like this. They are just too low and too small.
How to Fix Bad Posture
Strengthen weak muscles
Strengthening your muscles is not only good for posture. It’s good for longevity of life.
I make sure I work my core muscles in the gym evenly. It’s a common misconception that core only means abs (I make this mistake for years). But core also means muscles located in the lower back, obliques, even pelvic floor.
Stretch tight areas
A good idea for computer users is to release excessively tight postural muscles before strengthening them.
I enjoy doing this multiple ways:
- deep myofasical release from a holistic healer
- static stretching
- chiropractic adjustments
- active release therapy
- massage gun
- foam rolling
Side note: Nothing in this article is medical advice. I talk about my personal experience (of what worked for me) of improving my computer posture. Do your research. Consult your doctor. But be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
With that said, you can do a deeper dive into my experience by checking out my article Fixing Computer Posture: The Best Stretches and Strength Moves I Use Daily.
Improve daily habits
I like to practice ergonomic habits that improved posture, but don’t directly address how you hold your body.
Ergonomic habits such as:
- Hydration
- Sleep quality
- Breathing
Because all these are directly related to how good (or bad) my computer posture is.
To learn more, check out the book I wrote on daily habits that improve posture at computer.
Focus on consistency over quick fixes
It’s amazing how simple, easy-to-implement fixes can make massive improvements. Especially when practiced consistently on a daily basis. To learn the 3 most important posture fixes I did to my own ergonomic setup, check out the (free) eBook I wrote on how to improve posture while sitting at computer.
Combine mobility and strength training
Both of these go hand in hand. When used together, they complement each other in powerful ways. And this can’t be more true when it comes to computer users who work at a computer 5 days a week. To learn more, I wrote an article titled Stretching Versus Strengthening: The Fine Line Between Balancing the Two.
Fix environment as well as body
Fake lights, dusty desks, breathing stale air all day, micro-managers, toxic co-workers, and unrealistic sales quotas. These are a few things that not only made my posture worse, they made my life miserable. Getting laid off was the best thing that ever happened to me. Although it wasn’t planned, I’m glad it happened that way.
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, you’ll love the digital store I just published.
🙏 Thank you for supporting my work. -Todd