Here’s How You Should Be Sitting at Your Desk (According to Ergonomics)
01 August 2017
Dont let this infographic fool you—we know sitting can be bad for our health. Its been linked to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer. Not to mention, sitting for long periods of time can cause your muscles to become inactive, and has you burning one calorie a minute, a third of what it would be if you were walking. And thats even when you have good posture!
But most of us dont even have good posture. Were sitting like contortionists and twisted pretzels, setting ourselves up for a lifetime of pain and injuries . And although standing desks (or even treadmilll desks) are trendy, they havent become the office norm just yet—making sitting the majority of the day pretty inevitable.
To avoid the scary consequences of days spent on our rears, we teamed up with Alyx Brown, a chiropractor at Manhattans Urban Wellness Clinic, to find the best way to sit at our desks.
How to Sit According to Ergonomics
1. Computer Monitor and Eyes
Its important to have your eyes in line with the area of the screen you focus on the most, whether thats the top (if you are sending lots of emails), or the bottom (if you are writing a bunch of code). Looking down at your screen puts excess strain on your neck, which leaves you vulnerable to injuries such as cervical disc herniation, cervical strains, and headaches. Stacking books under your monitor is a simple trick if you need to raise your screen to be at eye level. And if you happen to be a multi-monitor worker, make sure you apply this tip to the monitor you use the most—the last thing you want is an injury from looking sideways all day.
2. Desk
Anything that you constantly use (think your phone, mouse, or water bottle) can be a stressor on your body if you are always reaching out to grab it. Instead of forcing your body to overwork (and be in an uncomfortable position), keep these must-use items within a foot.
3. Arms
When your arms are stretched and extended, your shoulders actually start to rotate forward, causing you to lose strength in your upper back. To avoid shoulder injuries and chronic upper back pain, keep your arms at a comfortable 90-degree angle in a nice, neutral resting position. Chairs come with armrests for a reason, so dont be afraid to let them lend you a helping hand!
4. Back
You want your back to be comfortable and supported, with a small curve in the lumbar spine where your natural lower back (or lordotic curve) is. Without support, the back tends to get too much of a curve in the opposite direction—whats known as kyphosis, or more commonly, hunchback—leaving the lower back perfectly exposed to disc herniation and chronic postural lower back sprains and strains (the most common injuries Brown sees). If you dont have a chair that can provide support, get creative! Pillows and jackets are the perfect solution to such a problem...read more https://greatist.com/grow/ergonomic-tips-sitting
Dont let this infographic fool you—we know sitting can be bad for our health. Its been linked to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer. Not to mention, sitting for long periods of time can cause your muscles to become inactive, and has you burning one calorie a minute, a third of what it would be if you were walking. And thats even when you have good posture!
But most of us dont even have good posture. Were sitting like contortionists and twisted pretzels, setting ourselves up for a lifetime of pain and injuries . And although standing desks (or even treadmilll desks) are trendy, they havent become the office norm just yet—making sitting the majority of the day pretty inevitable.
To avoid the scary consequences of days spent on our rears, we teamed up with Alyx Brown, a chiropractor at Manhattans Urban Wellness Clinic, to find the best way to sit at our desks.
How to Sit According to Ergonomics
1. Computer Monitor and Eyes
Its important to have your eyes in line with the area of the screen you focus on the most, whether thats the top (if you are sending lots of emails), or the bottom (if you are writing a bunch of code). Looking down at your screen puts excess strain on your neck, which leaves you vulnerable to injuries such as cervical disc herniation, cervical strains, and headaches. Stacking books under your monitor is a simple trick if you need to raise your screen to be at eye level. And if you happen to be a multi-monitor worker, make sure you apply this tip to the monitor you use the most—the last thing you want is an injury from looking sideways all day.
2. Desk
Anything that you constantly use (think your phone, mouse, or water bottle) can be a stressor on your body if you are always reaching out to grab it. Instead of forcing your body to overwork (and be in an uncomfortable position), keep these must-use items within a foot.
3. Arms
When your arms are stretched and extended, your shoulders actually start to rotate forward, causing you to lose strength in your upper back. To avoid shoulder injuries and chronic upper back pain, keep your arms at a comfortable 90-degree angle in a nice, neutral resting position. Chairs come with armrests for a reason, so dont be afraid to let them lend you a helping hand!
4. Back
You want your back to be comfortable and supported, with a small curve in the lumbar spine where your natural lower back (or lordotic curve) is. Without support, the back tends to get too much of a curve in the opposite direction—whats known as kyphosis, or more commonly, hunchback—leaving the lower back perfectly exposed to disc herniation and chronic postural lower back sprains and strains (the most common injuries Brown sees). If you dont have a chair that can provide support, get creative! Pillows and jackets are the perfect solution to such a problem...read more https://greatist.com/grow/ergonomic-tips-sitting