How to improve your office posture

Poor posture can be caused from the way you sit at your desk everyday at work. When you are staring at a computer screen all day, it's hard to think about your posture. Even if you aren't sitting all day, you could be standing in the same position for hours. Whatever your job may be, chances are you are in a static position for extended periods of time. Whenever you are in this position, you are bound to have moments where you slouch, slump, or damage your spinal structure.

The best thing you can do is to get up every 30-45 minutes and move around. If you sit at a desk all day, stand up for a few seconds and get the blood flowing throughout your body. People that sit all day are prone to developing blood clots so it is important to get up and move around if you want to avoid blood clots. Stretch your muscles everyday, you can even do stretches while you are sitting at your desk. Stretching is important as it helps to keep the muscles limber.

If you catch yourself slouching, correct your posture. As our muscles get tired, they start to weaken and cause the body to slouch. Don't allow your muscles to do this, but recognize that they are tired of the position they are in. Neck and shoulder muscles take on a lot of pressure from sitting or standing all day. Relax these muscles by moving the neck from side to side and up and down. Roll your shoulders back 3 times and then forward 3 times. If you have a company break room, go lay on the couch for a couple minutes to give all of your muscles a moment to relax. If you don't have a couch, lay on the floor (you might want to bring a towel or blanket). Just getting up for 2 minutes every half-hour can really reduce the back pain, neck pain, and leg pain you may be having.

When you sit, make sure your eyes are level with the computer monitor. You should not need to move the head up or down to see the screen. Your arms should be able to rest comfortably on the armrest and your elbows need to be at a 90 degree angle. There should be able a finger-width of room between the desk and your thigh. Once you have everything set up properly, evaluate the way you sit. Do you hunch over? Does the chair offer adequate back support? If the chair does not offer adequate support, consider purchasing a lumbar pillow or a new chair. A good chair will encourage you to sit up with your shoulders back. The middle of your back should have a slight arch to it.

If you stand all day, make sure you keep your body aligned. Hopefully you have rubber mats to stand on that can take some pressure off your feet. Make sure you purchase a good pair of shoes if you are going to be on your feet all day. Try to keep your body weight balanced properly between both legs. If you shift more weight to one side, it will throw-off your balance and it will hurt your posture.

Having good posture needs to be encouraged at the workplace and at your home. Take a look at the way you sit in the car, on the couch, and even the way you sleep. Is your spine in proper alignment? Practice sitting upright with your shoulders back. Remember that good posture is essential for your lower back health. It will reduce the neck and shoulder pain you may be experiencing.