Good posture is important to avoid health complications. While sitting, keep the feet on the floor, place the knees at or below hip level, and support your back by adjusting your chair. While standing, rest your weight on the balls of the feet, distance the feet shoulder-width apart, and shift the weight from one foot to another.
Rarely do we hear about children complaining of a back pain or a joint pain. This is because their bodies are active and bad habits like slouching or hunching are immediately corrected by their parents or elders. However, as we become adults and settle in our busy lives, little attention is paid to the way we sit, stand, or even rest.
Although meeting deadlines at work is important, it is equally important to pay attention to the way we sit, stand, or even take rest while we are at work or at home.
Poor posture can cause short and long-term complications to our health if it is not corrected on time. Some of these complications include back pain, spinal dysfunction, joint degeneration, and rounded shoulders.
Some studies also report that sitting postures can have an effect on the lung capacity. Therefore, sitting inappropriately for long hours can affect our body.
But, if we consciously make an effort to change it now, it may help reduce our risk of developing health conditions in the future. So, let’s take a look at how to sit and stand correctly and apply that in our workplace and homes to maintain good posture.
Tips To Maintain Good Posture While Sitting
Most jobs today cause us to lead a sedentary lifestyle. A lot of us end up sitting for more than 8 hours every day at work. Here are some tips to keep in mind while sitting at the desk at work.
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Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest, if they don’t reach the floor.
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Avoid crossing your legs; make sure your ankles are in front of the knees.
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Maintain a small gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat.
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Keep your knees at or below the level of your hips.
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Support your low- and mid-back by adjusting the backrest of your chair or use a back support.
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Relax your shoulders and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
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Keep the screen at eye level: Keep the monitor of the computer approximately at your eye level. Place the monitor about an arm’s distance away from you.
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Place the keyboard in front of you: It is important to keep the keyboard in front of you while typing, leaving a gap of about 4–6 inches at the front of the desk.
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Keep the mouse close: Place the mouse close to you. A mouse mat may help to keep the wrist straight and avoid any strain.
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Avoid screen reflection: Glare from your computer’s screen can cause strain to the eyes. Adjust the screen to avoid reflection from the lights or sunlight.
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Make sure objects are easily accessible: It is important to keep objects that you use often close to you. These may include your phone, stationery like a stapler, pen, etc.
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Avoid phone strain: If the nature of your job requires you to use your cell phones a lot, then you can reduce neck strain by using headsets or earphones.
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Take frequent breaks: It is important to avoid sitting in the same position for too long. Taking short breaks frequently can help solve this problem. Breaks can help relax the muscles.
Like sitting, even standing correctly is important to maintain a good posture. Taking meetings or narrating presentations can take time and may require you to stand for a long duration.
In fact, those who are involved in teaching jobs have to stand for hours together. Therefore, it is important to know how to stand correctly to avoid any negative effects on the body.
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Keep the screen at eye level: Keep the monitor of the computer approximately at your eye level. Place the monitor about an arm’s distance away from you.
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Place the keyboard in front of you: It is important to keep the keyboard in front of you while typing, leaving a gap of about 4–6 inches at the front of the desk.
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Keep the mouse close: Place the mouse close to you. A mouse mat may help to keep the wrist straight and avoid any strain.
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Avoid screen reflection: Glare from your computer’s screen can cause strain to the eyes. Adjust the screen to avoid reflection from the lights or sunlight.
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Make sure objects are easily accessible: It is important to keep objects that you use often close to you. These may include your phone, stationery like a stapler, pen, etc.
-
Avoid phone strain: If the nature of your job requires you to use your cell phones a lot, then you can reduce neck strain by using headsets or earphones.
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Take frequent breaks: It is important to avoid sitting in the same position for too long. Taking short breaks frequently can help solve this problem. Breaks can help relax the muscles.
Tips To Maintain Good Posture While Standing
Keep the following tips in mind to maintain a healthy posture while standing.
- Rest your body weight on the balls of your feet.
- Keep your knees slightly bent.
- Distance your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Allow your hands to relax or hang down naturally along the sides of your body.
- Stand straight with your shoulders pulled backward.
- Tuck your stomach in.
- Keep your head level, making sure your earlobes are in line with the shoulders. Do not push your head forward, backward, or to the side.
- Shift your weight from one foot to the other if you have to stand for a long time.
So, make an effort to sit and stand correctly a few times and it will probably come naturally to you to do it the right way. After a long day’s work, you probably want to just crash in your bed. However, if sitting and standing have a “right” way, lying down does, too. Therefore, when decide to rest your body, remember to keep the following in mind when you lie down.
Tips To Maintain Good Posture While Lying Down
