How to keep a good posture while working at home

We can spend more than seven hours sitting at our home desk and at least eight out of ten of us might experience sooner or later back, shoulder or neck pain. This is because an incorrect posture can cause muscle and joint pain to appear. Our habits, long hours in front of the computer, driving or lying on the sofa, do not go unnoticed by our health. This is why having a good body posture is essential for our health and work from home performance.

Our bodies are built for movement. A study published in 2016 by the ‘American Journal of Preventive Medicine’, reported that the more we move, the more it benefits our health. The Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London, also concluded that movement could reduce the risk of mortality from any cause associated with a sedentary life.

To prevent the issues mentioned above, you will find in this guide tops on how to achieve good posture, avoid discomfort, pain and injury while working at home. We will also mention some exercises for resting and stretching as well as talk about what are the advantages of having good body posture.

What is the correct posture to work from home while sitting on your desk?

Sitting for a long time is tiring and as we get fatigued, so do our muscles. This causes us to fall into the chair as time passes by.

To avoid muscle pain you must maintain all areas of the body as follows:

Neck: always keep your gaze straight ahead and avoid bending your neck. The upper part of the monitor screen must be at the height of your horizontal line of vision.

Shoulders: you should always have them relaxed.

Elbows: leave them supported and close to your body maintaining an angle between 90° and 100°.

Arms: do not type with your arms suspended in the air.

Forearms: support them on the desk. The chair you use must also have armrests.

Wrists: keep them relaxed and aligned with the forearms to avoid deviations or unnatural positions.

Back: you must maintain its natural shape and always support it completely on the back of the chair.

Hips: Maintain an angle between 90° to 100° with the thighs parallel to the floor.

Knees: should form an angle greater than 90°, avoid flexing the legs at the same height as your hips are.

Feet: keep them flat on the floor.

Sight: every so often look at a distant point away from the screen for a few seconds so that you can relax your eye muscles.

In case you use a laptop,  you must use an external mouse and keyboard and put the laptop on top of books or objects that allow you to follow the above.

Tips and extra measures on how to keep a good posture while working remotely

Other important tips related to good posture in front of the computer relate to comfort and the longevity of productivity. Some of them are:

• Take periodic breaks where you stretch, walk, and do some exercise.
• Blink periodically to moisturize the eyes. You can also use artificial tears.
• Use a screen filter to reduce or cancel light reflection and radiation emissions.
• Position the computer perpendicular to the window (neither in front of nor behind it) to avoid reflections or glare.
• Provide dim lighting to work on and to avoid reflections or glare as well.
• Adjust the brightness and contrast of the screen according to the surrounding light to avoid straining your eyes.
• Adjust the screen resolution and the size of the characters according to your sight to avoid forcing it as well.

It is also very essential to prevent accidents, for this, carry out these tips:

• Swivel chairs on wheels must have five legs and not four. They must have some resistance to prevent involuntary movement but still not reduce mobility.
• Do not use the swivel or wheelchair to get on and reach for something on a shelf or library.
• Never lean back in a swivel chair to avoid falling.
• If the chair has wheels that are loose, remove them immediately until they are repaired.
• Before sitting down, make sure that the chair is firm and in place.

To complement a correct body posture when sitting in front of the computer, there are ergonomic keyboards and mouses, which provide comfort to the user by being adaptable to the human body and, in this way, reduce possible tensions, muscle contractures and joint discomfort. 

Benefits of acquiring good body posture in front of the computer

Maintaining a proper posture in front of the computer contributes to our well-being. There are short and long-term benefits:

• Reduces muscle tension by maintaining a correct back posture.
• Decreases tiredness.
• Avoids headaches or migraines.
• Prevents vision problems such as irritation and dry eyes or blurred vision.
• Keeps your concentration in the right place.
• Increases your productivity.
• Facilitates breathing.

It is key to maintain a correct position when sitting in front of the computer. Avoid incorrect positions since they can generate chronic health problems in the future. For those long working days, here are some exercises you can practice:

1. Plank: When performed, abdominal muscles get strengthened while affecting the shoulders and back. Get into position as if you were going to do a push-up, squeeze your glutes and align your head with your back. Tighten your abdomen and breathe . Hold the position for 20 seconds.
2. Back extension: Is key for a good posture. To do this, you can lie on your stomach, extending your arms above your head. Keeping your head aligned with your spine, gently lift your shoulders. Hold the pose for a few seconds and return to the starting position. You can also do this while sitting.
3. Rotating shoulders: This exercise is ideal to relieve tension and promote correct posture. You can do it while sitting or standing. Inhale and lift your shoulders towards your ears. Hold for a few seconds before exhaling and bringing your shoulder blades down once again.

Final thoughts

Maintaining a good posture while working remotely is very important to prevent and avoid low back pain, herniated discs, scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis, cervical pain, muscle contractions or sciatica. It is important to maintain a healthy posture and to take small breaks throughout the day to move. This enhances work and personal wellbeing, increases life quality and improves productivity due to reduced discomfort.