If you're reading this blog post on your computer, we want you to stop for a minute and evaluate your posture. How are you sitting right now? Are you sitting with your head bent forward towards the computer screen, shoulders slouched, and back curved? If the answer to this question is a yes, this blog is for you!
Most jobs are computer-based today, which require you to sit in front of the computer for long hours every day. While the computer has made getting things done easier, it has also put us at risk of some severe health conditions that shouldn't be taken lightly. Computer usage isn't harmful if you use it right; by right, we mean ensuring that you're sitting in the correct posture while using a computer. Using the computer in the wrong posture is what makes computer usage harmful, and with the posture corrected, the risks associated with excessive computer usage are significantly reduced.
This blog post highlights the various health risks that the wrong posture at work can put you and the most promising ways to improve your work posture. You can't do much about the nature of your job, but you most certainly can work on your posture!
How Does an Incorrect Posture at Work Affect You?
How often do you go home with your back and shoulders hurting? How often do you feel drained out at work and wish for the day to come to an end soon? If you've been noticing a frequent occurrence of these situations, know that your posture has started to affect you, and if you don't do something about it soon, you'll develop serious problems that'll hinder your ability to work and even carry out your day-to-day tasks without feeling discomfort and pain.
Your posture at work affects you in many ways. Below are some of the consequences of poor work posture and why you need to work on posture correction soon!
Altered Spine Curvature
Your spine is naturally built with 3 distinct curves, forming the letter 'S'. The spine's shape has been made to absorb the shock and prevent spinal damage. However, when you sit in an incorrect posture for long hours every day, the curvature of your spine gets altered. The natural 'S' shapes change, and the spine's ability to absorb shock also gets affected. With this, you're at a high risk of spinal injuries due to even the slightest impact. And we kid you not; spine injuries are always severe!
Back and Neck Pain
Sitting in an incorrect posture for long hours puts strain on the upper and lower back, which causes back and neck pain. When you're sitting with your back curved and your head bent forward, the pressure on the lower back and the strain on the muscles around the shoulder and neck increases, which is why you may experience pain in the neck and lower back after a long day at work. It's not the work that's causing the pain, but your posture at work.
Headaches
When you bend your head forward, the weight on the shoulders (of your head) increases. It increases the pressure on the shoulder muscles and tension in the neck muscles, and this can result in tension headaches.
Fatigue and Exhaustion
Sitting in an incorrect posture causes muscle fatigue and makes you feel tired and exhausted. When you feel exhausted at work, your motivation decreases, and your productivity at work takes a hit. Feeling fatigued and exhausted continuously can also have a negative impact on your mental health.
Digestion Problems
The wrong posture at work causes organ compression, which can lead to digestive problems. When you're sitting for most of the day and aren't moving around much, you should expect digestion problems.
How Can You Achieve the Perfect Posture at Work?
Do you see how much your work posture can affect your health and well-being? This necessitates the need to work on posture correction at work.
Before we can move on to improving your posture at work, let's first understand what an ideal posture is like.
The perfect posture, also referred to as the neutral posture, is when you're sitting on the chair with your back in a natural neutral position, your feet flat on the floor, your knees approximately hip-width apart, and your forearms at 90 degrees angle. The perfect posture is the one when all the parts of your body are absolutely relaxed, and there's no stress or pressure on any part.
But most people sit on their work chairs in an incorrect posture, with their backs curved, head bent, and shoulders slouched, and this posture stresses the muscles of the lower back, neck, and shoulders. Sitting in an incorrect posture for long hours at a stretch increases your risk of developing posture-related musculoskeletal disorders.
The good news is that there are some definitive ways to improve your posture at work and mitigate the risk of posture-related health conditions.
We've listed some of these ways to help you ensure your health and safety at work!
Practice Neutral Posture Consciously
We're so used to sitting in an incorrect posture that sitting in the correct posture will feel uncomfortable. That's because your body is accustomed to the wrong posture and the new one feels odd. One of the most effective ways of improving your posture at work is to start practicing sitting in a neutral posture consciously. Sit with your feet placed flat on the floor, your back fully supported by the backrest, your elbows resting on the armrests, and your head supported by the headrest. This posture ensures no part of your body, especially the lower back, neck, and shoulders, aren't exposed to strain or pressure that may put you at risk of posture-related health complications.
Make a conscious effort to sit in the correct posture. It'll take a while for your body to get used to this new posture. Once that happens, you'll start sitting in the correct posture at work, even when you aren't conscious about it.
Improve the Ergonomics of Your Workstation
The best way to achieve the perfect posture is by improving the ergonomics of your workstation. Ergonomics is all about ensuring every individual's comfort, health, and safety, and good ergonomics start with posture correction.
Ergonomic Desk
The first thing that'll help you improve your work posture is replacing your regular work desk with an ergonomic standing desk or an ergonomic height-adjustable work desk. As the name implies, a standing desk enables the user to work while sitting, helping them mitigate all the risks associated with sitting in an incorrect posture.
If you don't think you'll be too comfortable standing for long hours at work, an ergonomic height-adjustable work desk will suit you better. With this desk, you can adjust the height of your work desk according to your comfort needs. One factor that many employers fail to consider is the fact that not all employees are of the same physique. Some are tall, and others are short. If a desk is too high for you, you'll have to sit with your arms awkwardly placed on the desk's surface, and your back and neck stretched. If the desk is too low for you, you'll have to sit with your back curved and your head bent. In both cases, you're putting stress on the back, neck, and shoulders. Height-adjustable work desk solves this problem.
When your work desk is at the right height for you, you'll naturally be seated in the correct posture at work. And this will enhance your safety and comfort at work.
Ergonomic Chair
You should also consider replacing your work chair. An ergonomic chair like the Ergonomic Office Chair BS2 can do wonders when it comes to posture correction at work. An ergonomic chair has several features that promote a healthy posture. From adjustable height to adjustable seat depth to flexible backrest, you can completely customize the chair settings as per your comfort needs. An ergonomic chair ensures your feet are resting comfortably flat on the floor, your back is fully supported, and the edge of the seat isn't pressing into the back of the knees.
Adjustable Monitor Mount
Another consequence of an incorrect posture at work is eye strain. If your computer screen isn't at the right height, distance, and angle for you, you'll naturally bend or tilt your head to see the computer screen properly. Tilting or bending the neck puts strain on the neck and shoulder muscles, which increases the risk of neck and shoulder pain. With an adjustable monitor mount, you can adjust the height, distance, and angle according to your preferences to ensure you don't have to position your neck incorrectly at any point when at work.
Closing Word
Achieving the perfect posture at work isn't too difficult, but it's only possible if you take conscious steps. Posture correction can mitigate several health risks and ensures your health and safety at work. It may feel too much right now, but posture correction at work will have long-lasting benefits for your health.
