How To Keep A Good Posture At Work


Modern lifestyle poses numerous challenges as far as maintaining good posture at work is concerned. We slouch while working in front of a computer and often tilt the head forward while typing a text on the smartphone. These are posture killers that we have to deal with everyday. Bad posture is not just a cosmetic issue, but it can lead to serious neck, shoulder and back problems too. According to some studies, poor posture can be the cause of headaches, altered hormone levels and reduced breathing as well. That is why, it becomes important to know how to keep a good posture at work. OneHowTo.com is always there to help.
Keep your body aligned
While standing, distribute your body’s weight uniformly to the back, front and sides of your feet. When you sit in your office chair, use the chair’s features to your advantage. To keep a good posture at work, sit straight and keep your ears, hips and shoulders aligned in a vertical line. Sitting in a single position for too long, even if it is a good one, may be tiring. Keep shifting your positions on the seat to ease the work done by your back muscles. Also avoid imbalanced postures like crossing the legs, leaning on one side, tilting the head or hunching forward the shoulders while sitting or standing. It's also important that your feel are flat on the floor or at least on some kind of support.
Take a look at the picture below to see the correct posture of your back so you can work properly.

Keep moving
If you stand or sit for too long, your muscles get tired and you tend to slump, slouch or adopt other poor postures for comfort. In fact, lack of movement may put more pressure on your back and neck than keeping bad posture. If you want to maintain a supported yet relaxed posture at work, try to change your positions frequently. One tip is to take a break from your standing or sitting position every half or one hour, walk around, talk to a colleague, do some stretching and come back. By doing this, you will be able to keep good posture for longer. If you frequently have neck problems, take a look at how to stretch neck muscles properly.

Use props to support your posture
There are supportive props that you can use to keep the load and strain off your spine. Footrests, a small pillow or a towel, and portable lumbar back supports can be kept on your office chair to add to your comfort and to maintain a good posture at work. Using bags, backpacks or purses designed to put minimum strain on your back can also help in keeping good posture. Wearing corrective eye-wear and positioning your computer screen at your eye level can help in avoiding neck strain.

Check your shoes
Thick soled shoes or high heels can be terrible for your posture. If you are sitting in your office chair, try to take off your shoes and sit bare footed. Doing this can help in building your feet muscles that will lay foundation for your quality of movement and posture. Walking on grass or sand helps in building mobility, strength and stability to your feet, which will ultimately help in keeping a good posture at work.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to How To Keep A Good Posture At Work, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.