Top 5 Tips for Good Computer Posture
Better Posture = Better Health
Often times patients come into the office complaining of aches, pains and headaches after a long day of work. These symptoms may be due to a variety of reasons, but one of the most common causes is due to sitting at the computer! So many of my patients work six to eight hours or more in front of a computer everyday. So I thought it would be valuable to go over a few tips for good posture at the computer.
- Make sure you computer monitor and keyboard are directly in front of you. You do not want to have to turn and twist you body to get work done!
- The middle of the computer monitor should be at eye level. This way you do not have to tip your head up or down and your neck can remain in a neutral position. Make sure that your monitor is not too far or too close. It should be about arms length away from your eyes.
- Your arms should be at about 90 degrees and be well supported on an armrest or desk.
- If you are sitting in a chair, your knees should be bent at about 90 – 100 degrees and your feet should be flat on the floor.
- Make sure that you take micro breaks throughout the day every 15 – 30 minutes. Get up and stretch or move around. Your body will love you for this.
Bonus Tip: The ultimate computer work station is one that can adjust so that it can slide up and down so that you are able to stand or sit. It has been recently shown that sitting for long periods can lead to stiffness, poor balance, poor mobility, and neck, back and hip pain. Sitting has also been shown to be a predictor for weight gain! So now you have some great motivation to get off your butts!
