Sitting Pretty
Poor sitting posture is very common. It is characterised by a curved spine , and chin pushed forward. Eventually, it can lead to severe back and neck problems, and possibly tension headaches.
Incorrect desk height and poor arm/hand position can lead to painful wrists and fingers , and possibly tendonitis. The picture on the right shows a good posture. The weight above the PC is shown to illustrate how you should feel as if there was a force pulling your chest out.
There are a number of other things that are key to good posture, as we will show below.
How to sit with good posture - you should adopt the following practices as much as possible:
- Balanced head with chin tucked in.
- Breast bone elevated
- Shoulders relaxed
- Upper arms vertical
- Forearms horizontal
- Wrists in a neutral position
- Desk height to match elbow height
- Feet flat on the floor or a rest
- Slight arch in the lower back
- Sit well back in the chair, with thighs supported
- Top of screen at eye level
- Sit close to the desk - do not reach
Use an adjustable chair - your chair should ideally have the following features:
- Half or not arm rests to allow the chair to go under the desk.
- Back rest with an adjustable height and angle to support the back at belt level.
- Seat not too deep, should be flat or tipped slightly forward.
- Height adjustable using a gas mechanism.
- Base to be a 5-star stable type.
- Rotatable to allow rotation to different parts of the desk.
Workstation adjustment - your workstation and environment should be adjusted as follows:
- Ensure adequate illumination
- Screen to be free from glare
- Work surface to be free from glare
- Screen to be tiltable
- Screen height to be adjustable
- Keyboard detached, flat, and at elbow height
- Thin desk top for maximum thigh space
- No leg obstructions
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