How To Improve Posture While Sitting

We sit for much longer than we should. As sitting is now the new normal, looking after your posture while you sit is important. Still, many of us don't even think about our posture when we sit.

However, your sitting posture is just as important as your standing or walking posture.

Here are some tips for what you should think about when you sit down to do your job.

Is Your Chair Causing Back Pain?

Having an ergonomic chair is essential. Many of us who work from home forget about the chair.

We end up doing our work sitting on kitchen or dining room chairs. That is not doing our posture any good at all.

Whether you work from home or in an office, it is important to have the right kind of chair.

Your chair should offer you a lumbar support. On top of that, it is important that both the seat and the back of the chair are padded.

You should be able to sit in your chair and lean back without experiencing any pressure points. Surprisingly, developing pressure sores is easier than you may think.

An ergonomic chair also supports your lower back region. Shopping around and paying a bit extra for a chair with neck and high-quality arm support is worth it.

Exercise Before You Start Work

Exercising before you start work is another important factor that you should not dismiss.

You don't have to run a marathon before you start working. Going for a walk is a great idea. There is another advantage to going for a walk.

As we are all trying to save money and watch our living costs these days, going for a walk does not cost you anything at all. It does not matter where you are in the world. Most of the time, you can put your trainers on and go for a walk.

Not only is walking good for your posture when you sit. It is also good for your circulation.

Freshly oxygenated blood helps you to feel invigorated.

When you start the working day with a walk, you are much less likely to end up feeling tired during the day.

Never Work at the Kitchen Table

Yes, we live in increasingly smaller homes. Sometimes when two partners work from home, it is all too easy to run out of space.

Subsequently, one partner ends up sitting in the kitchen while the other one uses the dining room as their home office.

This is not really a satisfactory solution at all. You should both have quality office desks that help you to sit correctly when you do your work.

Once you have bought your desks, or your employer has supplied them, you will notice the difference.

For instance, the armrest of your ergonomic chair should line up with your desk. That way, you avoid tension in your shoulders and from the elbow down to your hands. It is fine to drop your elbows a little bit when you type, but by all means, you don't want to be doing that all of the time.

Check the Position Of Your Screen

If you find you have to bend your neck when you sit to look at the computer screen, it means it is at the wrong angle.

In a perfect world, your computer or laptop screen should be at the same height as your neck.

You will find that this simple measure will give you a much better posture when you sit. It is also easier to type in this way. When you have got used to sitting in this position, you will find that you will not look down on the keyboard as you type.

That will further help you to improve your posture when you sit.

Never Cross Your Legs

Crossing their legs when they sit is one of the worst things office workers do.

If you find sitting with both feet on the floor hard, you should buy a footrest. They are not invasive and will not take up a lot of space under your desk.

As we all like different elevations for our feet, it is a good idea to get a footrest that is adjustable.

One bad habit that many office and home workers get into with a footrest, is crossing their feet. Try to avoid this as it can lead to poor blood circulation.

Stand Up and Stretch

Just like when you do manual work such as gardening, it is important to take a break.

Try to stand up and stretch every 30 minutes or so. When you are for one reason or another glued to your chair, you should stretch sitting in the chair.

Raise your arms above your head, put your palms together and try to raise your entire torso out of your chair. Hold for about 20 seconds, lower your arms and then do it again.

Examine your posture after and you will find that your posture is probably a lot better.

Wear A Posture Corrector

When you are concerned about your posture, wearing a posture corrector is not a bad idea.

Thanks to modern design, lumbar supports are not invasive or clumsy. There are lots of different models to choose from. Find one that suits you and make sure you wear it every day.

Overall, wearing a lumbar support is one of the best ways to make sure you maintain a healthy posture when you sit during the workday. Lumbar supports are easy to put on and slip off when you finish your in-office or at-home office shift.

Even if you have a standing desk, you will find that a support will help you to achieve a better posture.

In Conclusion

There are many ways in which you can protect your back and achieve better posture when you sit. Buying a lumbar support is one of the best ways.

Think of your lumbar support as a prompt. It reminds you to sit correctly and look after your posture.

Brought to you by Your Back Pain Relief