Posture At Home

For the last several months, many businesses have had their employees work from home. However, not everyone has an ergonomic workstation at home which can affect their spinal health. Along with routine Upper Cervical Chiropractic, here are some tips to help optimize your posture and improve your comfort when working from home:

1 – Work at a desk or table with adequate knee/foot clearance so that you can sit/stand close to your computer. With proper chair height, your knees should have a 90-degree angle with feet resting flat on the floor.

2 – Use a separate keyboard and mouse if using a laptop. Forearms and hands should be supported on the desk with the keyboard at elbow height.

 

3 – Position your computer so that the top of the screen is level with your eye height. If you do not have a riser, use a box or some books to raise your laptop/monitor. The computer screen should be a little further than one arm’s length away (reduces eye and neck strain). Use a document holder next to the screen instead of having a document flat on the desk.

4 – If sitting, use an adjustable chair. Use a rolled-up hand towel or small pillow for extra lower back support, if needed. If your chair is too low, sit on a cushion to raise your seat height. Sit up straight with your back in total contact against the chair.

 

5 – Maintain a good posture; if sitting, try to ensure that the small of your back is supported, your shoulders are relaxed (not slumped, not elevated), and that there is no unwelcome pressure on the back of your knees. If standing (e.g. at your kitchen worktop), keep your legs, torso, neck, and head approximately in line and vertical – do not slouch, lean, or twist to the side. Remember, ears should be directly above shoulders, directly above hips.

6 – Do not sit or stand for too long. Get up away from the computer to stretch out every 30 minutes – 1 hour, if you can.

If you have a job that requires you to be a computer 8+ hours a day, performing Brügger’s exercise can activate muscles weakened & simultaneously stretch those tightened by a prolonged sitting posture. Perform this exercise once or twice for every 20-30 minutes of prolonged sitting. Hold the position for 30-60 seconds.

 

 

• While sitting at the chair, push it away from your desk
• Sits at the edge of your chair with your feet slightly farther apart than your hips & turns your feet out slightly
• Tuck chin in slightly (as if you are giving yourself a double chin) & breathe through the abdomen
• Lift sternum slightly & pull shoulders back
• Slowly exhale actively by blowing the breath out through your lips while rotating your arms laterally, & spread fingers