Hello!  I would like to start this blog post by asking you to stop whatever it is you are doing and evaluate your body.  Are you sitting or standing?  Does your upper, mid or low back feel tight or achy?  How is your posture?

We at Absolute Health Chiropractic and Massage want to help you feel your best!  One of the most important things to pay attention to is body positioning at work.  After all, you do spend the majority of your days in this position!  Here are several steps to improve ergonomics if you are sitting at a desk most of your day:

  • Find your natural posture – Place your feet on the floor in front of you, place your hands in your lap and relax your shoulders as you lean back slightly. Your behind should be slightly behind you.  In fact, some people find it helpful to pretend like you have a tail.  This is your natural posture.  Remember this feeling/sensation.  Try to return to it often – especially when you feel stressed or tight/tense.  You may need to consciously tell yourself to return to this position as you most likely are not sitting this way mindlessly.
  • Rearrange your keyboard and mouse – Your keyboard/mouse should be positioned in a way that keeps your elbows near your sides and your arms at or below a 90-degree angle.
  • Check your screens – Sit back and extend your arm. The tips of your middle finger should land on your screen.  To ensure the height of your monitors is correct, close your eyes & when you open them, your eyes should land on the address bar.  If not, lower or raise the monitors using a built-in option if applicable, with risers or with a book.
  • Check your chair – Remembering your natural posture, find a chair that offers good lumbar support. When you sit, your feet should land on the floor in front of you & your thighs should be slightly below your hips.
  • Move around – Make sure you take breaks hourly to stand up and walk around the office or stretch! At the end of the day, stretching is the only thing to actively combat issues that arise from prolonged sitting.  If you are in need of stretching exercises/techniques – Active Care is a great way to learn new stretching techniques or to refresh your memory.

For a more detailed overview about proper desk ergonomics, Dr. Cait offers in office workshops about desk stretching and proper desk alignment.  Please inquire at the front desk if you are interested to learn more!  And as always, regular adjustments are recommended for maintaining optimal health!

  • Ali

(Information for this blog post was used from this website: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-set-up-an-ergonomic-workstation/)