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Whenever you talk about work these days, it mainly includes sitting on a chair in front of a computer the whole day. Some may argue that this is necessary to get the work done. However, doing so involves a lot of health problems. The impact of which is felt in the later stages of life.
One aspect that can be attributed as the main culprit in this particular scenario is the posture at work. If you head to any IT company and do a survey, you will realize that most people do not maintain an ideal or close to ideal posture while sitting.
Their backs are arched, their shoulders drooped and slouched, their feet dangling and not touching the ground. These are the most commonly seen mistakes that people do. It can prove to be costly eventually as conditions like spondylitis and arthritis develop prematurely. However, all these problems can be avoided if you put some effort to improve the posture at work. All you have to do is follow the six tips that are mentioned below.
Adjusting Your Workspace
The first thing that you need to do to improve your posture is to adjust your workspace. Your arm should be positioned in such a way that your elbow bends at 90 degrees and is at the same height as the keyboard. You can do so by adjusting the height of the chair you are sitting on using the lever for the same purpose.
You should also ensure that your head is in the correct position while working. Your eyes should be at the correct level with the top of your monitor so that you don’t have to flex your neck to view it as doing so can cause neck and shoulder pain.
Your feet should also be touching the ground and knees should be bent at 90 degrees. Adjusting the chair height is again the solution here. If it is not possible for some reason, you can put a footrest underneath and rest your feet on it. All the belongings in your workspace should also be easily accessible by you, so keep all of them nearby and within reach.
Practice Small Shoulder and Chest Exercises
Your shoulder and chest muscles are always in a contracted position if you are not sitting correctly. Therefore, you should put some efforts to relax whenever you can. Stand against a wall with your shoulder straight and take your arms out and move them up and down. Shrugging the shoulders is another helpful exercise. You can also bring the shoulder blades together to stimulate the shoulder and chest muscles.
Try Using Posture Corrector Braces
Many posture corrector braces are available in the market these days. They can forcefully bring you to the correct position and hold your shoulder and chest firmly so that you don’t go back to an improper position unknowingly as well. Kyphosis is a common ailment of the spine in which it loses its structure and gets distorted. A patient suffering from kyphosis can opt for kyphosis back brace to fight this problem. These posture corrector braces are suited for improving posture as well.
Get Up and Move Every so Often
When you sit for an extended period, your abdominal muscles become weak, blood circulation is slowed, and your bones become thin. You also tend to gain fat around the waist. Therefore, you should remember to get up from your chair and walk around and do some light stretches so that you can prevent all the problems mentioned above from taking place.
Do Some Standing Stretches every 30 Minutes
Best way to do so is by putting alarms in your smartphone for every 30 minutes. Take your chin up and down and move it towards the sides. Stretch your arms and legs by flexing and contracting them in opposite directions. This will ensure that blood circulation is uniform and proper throughout the body.
Maintain the Correct Posture While Sitting
Last but not least, even while sitting, you have to maintain the correct alignment of your spine. Improper sitting can put unnecessary pressure on the lumbar area, which can eventually lead to pain. Sit in a way so that your ear, shoulder, and hips lie in a straight line to avoid these problems.
Sitting continuously in your workspace is dangerous. Follow these 6 tips and hopefully your work-life will improve for the better.