10 Top Tips For Good Posture When Working At Home

Posted by Happy Being on December 7th, 2020

Due to COVID-19, many people are working long hours from home at the moment. When working at your normal office desk, your company will ensure that your workstation is set up so that it doesn't cause back strain and posture problems.  However, there is nobody to check your sitting position at home.  Are you guilty of having your laptop on your knee and leaning over it or sitting at the kitchen table on a chair that is too low? 

Here are some Happy Being top tips for a happy back, neck and shoulders.

1. Lumbar Support

Sit at a chair (preferably with arms) with a high back and a good backrest. Make sure you are sitting in an upright position and not sitting at the edge of the seat. You can roll a towel up and place it at the curve of your lower back for lumbar support. If you have an office chair already great.  If not, think about getting one if you are going to be spending even one day a week working from home now for the long term. You could always ask your office to loan you one or buy it for you?

2. Feet Placement & Leg Position

Place your feet flat on the floor with 90 degrees behind the knees when sitting on the chair, toes and heels in line, legs hip-distance apart. No crossing legs!!

3. Arm Position

Rest your hands on the keyboard with a 90-degree angle at your elbows (best with a chair that has armrests). Your upper arm should be as vertical as possible. This will open out your chest and shoulder muscles and help prevent soreness in the upper back and neck.

4. Keyboard Height

It is critical that you adjust your chair to allow your forearms to be parallel to the floor and level to the keyboard. If you don’t have an adjustable chair use cushions to raise yourself up and a cushion is also more comfortable to sit on.

5. Keyboard Set-Up

Your keyboard should be positioned so that the bottom of your wrist isn’t touching the edge of your desk or keyboard constantly as this is much more likely to inflame your wrist flexor tendons (lower wrist) and you’ll be more prone to get something called carpal tunnel syndrome. To prevent unwanted repetitive stress injuries use a protective wrist pad.

6. Set Your Screen At The Correct Height

The screen should be central to your body position and not off to the side. The screen should be at eye level (you are looking ahead at the centre of the computer screen) so if you are using a laptop on a table you are never going to have the screen at the correct height. If you use a laptop try putting it higher by sitting it on books or get a special laptop stand and buy a separate keyboard and mouse which can be at desk height.

7. Mix It Up!

Sit at a chair for part of the day, a standing desk for the rest and/or a swiss ball/fit ball. The mobility you get from sitting on a swiss ball improves fluid and nutrition delivery to the discs of the spine. A swiss ball also improves overall blood flow keeping the muscles of the legs and torso active. You’ll have to switch on those core muscles whether you like it or not for balance too. Always rotate though with either chair sitting, ball sitting or standing. Don’t spend 8hrs doing the one thing.

8. Invest In Your Desk Set Up And Your Body

If you think you are going to be working from home long term even one day a week invest in a good chair with a backrest and a headrest if you can. Also a table at the correct height and think about light in the room and where it is coming from. Have you got enough light or are you peering and taking that head of yours into a forward head posture which can bring on all kinds of things like headaches? 

9. Give Yourself A Break

Around every 30 minutes or so take a 5 minute break for tea, coffee, water or just to get up and move around. Set a repeat alarm on your phone/computer to remind you to take a break.

10. Happy, Healthy Back = Pilates Classes

Release those tense muscles and treat your body to a weekly online Pilates class in your lunch hour or after work during the week if you want to improve your posture, become stronger and more flexible. You’re not travelling to and from work so you have that little bit of extra time to fit a class into your day.

Pilates focuses on lengthening and strengthening muscles, improving alignment and core stability. Practising Pilates facilitates better health (particularly back health) and good body awareness through the development of the mind and body connection using the breath.