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How to sit properly in a chair without straining your back-1
In this post, I will explain how to sit in a chair correctly in a very simple way.
Sitting in an office chair and working long hours in front of a computer, maintaining good posture can be quite challenging.
Many people sit in front of office chairs and lean forward to get closer to the computer screen.
When working on a computer, most people are preoccupied with their body and mind, keeping their focus on what’s on the screen.
upright
- Your abs at the front of your spine and your back muscles at the back of your spine work like two elastic bands on either side of your spine to keep your body upright.
- Leaning forward (squatting forward in an office chair) distorts this balance system and places significant strain on the back.
- To illustrate the amount of force exerted on the back, consider the example of a stationary motorcycle balancing upright so that it does not tip over.
- Just as a motorcycle can easily stand upright with one hand when properly balanced, sitting upright in an office chair works your abdominal and back muscles together to maintain an upright position with minimal effort.
- But just as a motorcycle tries to keep it from falling as it leans to the side, when you bend forward while sitting in an office chair, your back muscles support your body so you don’t fall forward.
- Simply put, leaning forward to get closer to the computer screen increases the strain on your back, straining your joints, ligaments, and discs.
- Constant tension puts strain on the back muscles as they tighten, reducing blood circulation and nutrient flow to the back muscles.
- Over time, this posture stiffens your muscles and joints, making them more susceptible to injury.
- One of the biggest misconceptions about sitting is that you think you’re not working your muscles.
- This is a misconception that the back muscles constantly support the body to keep it upright while sitting.
- And people who work long hours in a squat in front of a computer sitting in an office chair put a lot of strain on their back.
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Techniques to avoid bending while sitting in an office chair
- To avoid the natural tendency to lean forward while sitting in an office chair and working on your computer, it’s a good idea to do some simple movements.
- Place a tennis ball in the middle of your back on either side of your spine and between your office chair. While sitting and working on your computer, do the following while keeping your tennis ball (or similar) from falling.
- It senses the ball on your back, so you stay connected to your body without being completely immersed in your computer work.
- If you pay more attention to the ball on your back, you can more easily maintain a better posture.
- Strong pressure on a tennis ball with your back creates an acupressure effect that stimulates blood flow to the area and physically releases contracted muscles and connective tissue.
- The pressure on the ball also creates a central nervous system mediated analgesic effect somewhat similar to acupuncture, releasing tight spots while sitting in an office chair and performing tasks.
- Importantly, when you are concentrating on work, the tennis ball will fall out when you start leaning forward, so it serves as a concrete reminder to stop doing things that put strain on your back.
- It has no side effects and is very easy to do.
How to support your back, neck and shoulders
Here are 4 tips on how to properly sit on your back, neck and shoulders when working on a computer.
office chair back
The backrest of an office chair provides important postural support and must be tailored to the individual user. If necessary, you should add lumbar support so that the backrest rests comfortably on the office chair when working on the computer. Placing the right backrest on the office chair helps to keep the natural curve of the lower back, so that the back muscles do not have to work too hard to maintain proper posture. Without proper back support, your muscles will fatigue over time, and your natural tendency to bend forward puts strain on the structure of your lower back.
easy-to-reach keyboard
The computer keyboard should be positioned close enough to your body so that you do not have to lean forward to reach it. When sitting in an office chair and typing on the computer, your elbows should be on the sides of your body and your hands should not reach in front of your body.
computer screen at eye level
The top of the computer screen should be placed at eye level. If the screen is too low, you will have to bend forward to see the screen.
This cannot be done with a laptop (since the screen and keyboard are connected), so the laptop screen is at eye level, an external keyboard plugged in, and easily reachable. Extra keyboards are inexpensive and can be placed at a suitable height so that your elbows are bent at 90 degrees while you work. Conversely, some may prefer to use a laptop keyboard, in which case the same purpose can be achieved by placing the laptop keyboard on a desk and connecting the laptop to a separate computer screen located at eye level.
arm support
The armrests of your office chair should allow your elbows to rest comfortably at a 90-degree angle along the side of your body while working on the computer.
A lack of armrests, too low or too wide arm support will cause your shoulders to bend forward and eventually pull your neck and spine forward.
You don’t necessarily need an expensive office chair, desk, or computer accessory to have all of the above.
For example, you can place your computer screen on top of a book or two so it’s at eye level, and if your office chair doesn’t provide the correct low position, roll up a towel or use a small pillow for extra back support. Paying attention to the ergonomic setting is the most important factor.
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