Do you spend all day at a desk, in front of a computer? There are more and more people working long hours at desks in front of computers, in spaces that were not meant to have someone sit there for 8 hours a day. Heck, is any environment right for a person to sit 8 hours a day? Our bodies are meant to be in motion, not sitting all day. This is why, when we become less active due to our work lifestyle the body can start to suffer.
Check out our workstation checklist for great tips on how to make your workstation more ergonomic, as well as tips for staying active throughout the day.
Workstation Checklist
Seated alignment
Sit in your chair in front of your computer as you normally would. Go through each check point to see what needs to be adjusted.
Hands, wrists, and forearms are straight, in-line and roughly parallel to the floor. No bends in the wrist, should be straight.
Head is level, chin is tucked back, ears in line with your shoulder seam. Head is straight, centered, not rotated. You may need to use a stand to raise your laptop, tablet or screen to be eye level with you. You do not want to be looking down.
Shoulders are relaxed and upper arms hang normally at the side of the body.
Elbows stay in close to the body and are bent between 90 and 110 degrees.
Feet are fully supported by the floor or a footrest may be used if the desk/chair height is not adjustable.
Back is fully supported with appropriate lumbar support so you don’t slouch.
Thighs and hips are supported by a well-padded seat and generally parallel to the floor.
Knees are about the same height as the hips with the feet slightly forward. You do not want your feet to sit back under your chair as this can cause knee pain.
A sit to stand desk is ideal for someone spending 8 plus hours at their desk. Switching between sitting and standing throughout the day can help.
If you have a sit to stand desk when you switch to standing try walking on the spot, dancing on the spot, pumping the ankles up and down.
Regardless of how neutral your posture is, working in the same posture or sitting still for prolonged periods can cause pain in the body. You should change your working position frequently throughout the day in the following ways:
Make small adjustments to your chair or backrest to give yourself maximum support.
Stretch your fingers, hands, arms, shoulders and neck.
Stand up and walk around or on the spot for a few minutes every 30 minutes.
If you improve everything listed above you are giving yourself the best chance of having less pain and discomfort from sitting at work all day.
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