The average person sits at their desk for about eight hours a day. This sounds like a lot of time, but it is important to consider that the human body was not designed to be in this position for such an extended period of time. Sitting at your desk all day can cause you back and neck pain, as well as other health issues.
Ask yourself, do you find yourself hunched over your computer? Does it feel like a relief when you get to stand up and move around for a while, but then the pain in your neck and back starts to return? It is possible that this has something to do with your posture. This blog post will go into detail about how sitting at a desk for extended periods of time can lead to serious problems with our posture, and steps you can take to fix them.
You may have heard that most people now spend about eighty percent of their time sitting down at work or school - and this can lead to some serious health problems! When you sit for long periods of time, your spine tends to curve out which causes strain on the lower back muscles and ligaments. In addition, when we are bent over our keyboards all day it leads to an increased risk of developing neck pain as well as other posture-related issues like rounded shoulders and a forward-tilted head, possibly leading to a more prominent condition known as Dowager's hump.
Your posture becomes more kyphotic (round in the upper back) due to poor habits of slouching while sitting at the desk with your chin jutted outwards. Slouching causes our spine to bend further than it should naturally, flattening chest muscles that are meant for assisting in breathing deeply, while also shortening shoulder blades so it is more difficult to shrug off tension or stress in the shoulder area.
It does not sound too good so far... but there is room for improvement!
Here are FIVE ways you can fix these issues:
1. The simplest way is to sit up straight, as if you are about to receive a bow. Head straight, Chest out and shoulders back.
2. Place your feet flat on the floor, and keep them there!
3. Take breaks every hour or so - get out of that chair and move around for a few minutes. Either do some stretches, take a walk around the office building, or just go outside for some fresh air and sunshine.
4. Invest in a standing desk.
5. Use the Posture Pal Back Stretcher. A device that fixes posture and helps in maintaining good posture all day. It straps onto any chair and keeps your back straight. This is a great device for anyone who has trouble sitting upright or slouch while they sit. Its adjustable levels are great for people who need a greater stretch for their back. The advanced silicone padding coupled with 84 acupressure points and 10 magnetic points provide a deep massage effect that relieve you from muscle stiffness and back pain.
Posture Pal Back Stretcher: More than Just Good Posture - It's an Essential Tool for Any Desk
Achieving good posture doesn't happen overnight. It's an ongoing process and it requires constant care and correction, but with the five key points we've discussed in this article, you'll be right on track to fixing your poor posture habits!