Office Chairs and Vital Posture to Remember When Working for Body Health

Proper posture is vital both at work and at home. Ergonomic posture is a valuable part in preventing or managing back pain during any activity. Bad posture while sitting in an office chair, driving, or standing for long periods of time can lead to back pain.

When standing it is important to maintain the natural curve of the spine in order to achieve good posture and when seated in your office chair, it is important to keep the correct spine position for body health.



Standing Posture When standing it is important to maintain the natural curve of the spine in order to achieve good posture. The spine is similar to the letter S when viewed from the side and maintaining the two curves is what is key to proper posture.

· Your head should be directly over the shoulders (chest out, head back)

· Keep Shoulders directly over the pelvis

· Tighten the core abdominal muscles

· Tuck in the buttocks

· The feet should be slightly apart, with one foot slightly ahead of the other, with the knees bent slightly.

When you first attempt this posture if you are not already doing it, you may feel a bit awkward. Give it some time and it will begin to feel natural. It can sometimes be tiring and this can be due to weak rhomboids and middle trapezius (spine muscles). This can be done using light weights or elastic bands. You will see improvement shortly after beginning these exercises.

Another cause of pain is prolonged standing on a concrete or hard floor. In this scenario it is best to wear shoes with cushioning and good support. Often a rubber mat or cushioned mat can correct this problem. Using a mat can enhance the ergonomic positioning and ease pressure on the back. Another technique it to use a railing or box to prop one foot up while standing to relieve pressure.

It is important to change feet and position about every 15 minutes.

Office Chair Posture

While many of us are increasingly spending large portions of our day in front of a desk it is important to have a correct posture. Bad posture can result in back pain and neck pain. Most of this pain is avoidable and can be achieved by:

Adjust the office chair, computer, and desk positioning

Modify your sitting posture from a forward leaning slump. The best position is to sit back in the chair and to use the chairs lumbar support to keep the head and neck erect.

Periodically take stretching and walking breaks when sitting for long periods of time.
A consistent and comfortable work environment can depend on placement of the computer screen, where the hands and feet are and the type of office chair.

Choose the surface height of your desk
This can vary depending on the task performed. It also should be adjust to the particular height of each worker.

Adjust your chair
Your work surface should be elbow high. Two fingers should be able to slip under the thigh. If this in not possible then a foot rest might correct this. The back of the chair should push the lower back forward slightly to offer lumbar support. Many typical chairs cannot do these functions and an ergonomic chair is recommended.

Proper screen height
Sit in your new chair and close your eyes and relax. Open you eyes slowly and where your sight initially focuses is the proper placement of the center of your computer screen. This can be accomplished by using a screen stand or the tilt operation on many screens. The new flat panel screens make this a simple fix.
Author, Amy Pedersen is penned as Sit On This Ergonomics featured Ergonomic Insider. Having worked in the ergonomics and office industry over 10 years now, she is currently co-founder of Sit On

This Ergonomics, operating a number of Ergonomic Sites dedicated to office chairs and the practice of good workplace ergonomics for better seating and productivity.

Featuring a wide variety of executive, leather, mesh and task office chairs with an online sales catalog, their website also provides detailed ergonomic information on proper work chair positioning.




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