Healthy Posture at Work
Several factors contribute to poor posture-most commonly, improper spinal alignment, stress, obesity, pregnancy, weak postural muscles, abnormally tight muscles, and high-heeled shoes. In addition, decreased flexibility, a poor work environment, incorrect working posture, and unhealthy sitting and standing habits can also contribute to poor body positioning.
How to sit properly:
• Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest, if they don’t reach the floor.
• Don’t cross your legs. Your ankles should be in front of your knees.
• Keep a small gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat.
• Your knees should be at or below the level of your hips.
• Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low- and mid-back or use a back support.
• Relax your shoulders and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
• Avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time.
Understanding correct posture and remembering to maintain correct posture during a long work day are two very different things. There are software programs that pop up a reminder to stretch or stand at certain time intervals or you could simply set an hourly timer on your phone or watch, even a post it note saying “sit up straight” is enough to give you that mental cue to remind you to take a short break and assess your posture, even small changes like these can make a huge difference in the health of your spine over the years. And of course…get adjusted regularly!
Dr. Craig Nemow, D.C. Chiro Dynamics
