Figuring out what office posture errors we need to correct can be overwhelming. I started correcting my computer-related posture problems in 2011. I knew I was in an incorrect sitting position at a computer (8 hours a day). But I didn’t know where to begin. I decided to fix my workstation posture problems one by one.
This article will talk about 3 of the most common posture errors at work. It will also talk about how I corrected those bad computer posture mistakes.
This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the desk worker health tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
3 Common Computer Posture Mistakes
1. Desk chair is too low
I used to sit with my desk chair too low. I’d eventually realize this was causing multiple ergonomic mistakes at my desk.
First, it would cause my hips to be below my knees. Sitting at a computer for long periods of time already causes a lot of compression to the muscles in the upper quadriceps, hips, and lower abdomen areas. But having my chair too low exponentially increased the muscle tension and chronic pain in my hips.
Sitting too low in an office chair also kept my elbow level below the desk level. This caused me to constantly contract my bicep muscles to lift my hands up onto the desk, keyboard, and mouse.
Another ergonomic mistake caused by a low chair was my foot placement while using a computer. Since my knees were higher than my hips, I would pull my feet under my desk chair in order to take some pressure off my hips. This may have slightly relieved the constant activation of my hip muscles. But it created more repetitive strain for my legs. My hamstrings were constantly activated in order to pull my feet under my chair. All of this led to excessive muscle tension in my legs, as well as joint dysfunction in my knees and ankles. In order to find correct knee position while sitting at a computer, the first thing I needed to do was raise my office chair.
Desk Chair Too Low Solution:
To determine the correct height of a desk chair, the important ergonomic variables I follow are:
- I make sure my hips are either even with my knees, or better yet, slightly higher than my knees.
- I make sure my elbow level is slightly higher than my desk level.
- I make sure to keep my feet flat on the floor. If I meet the first 2 variables, but it lifts my feet off the floor, that means I need to lower my desk before lowering my chair until my feet are on the floor. Or, if my desk isn’t adjustable, I will use a footrest to keep my feet flat.
2. Using a Laptop Monitor
A large majority of the workforce uses a laptop as their primary computer. It’s super convenient to carry in and out of the office, work from home, or even during travel. Working from a laptop for 8 hours a day, with good posture, is very doable. However, it’s definitely a bad computer posture mistake to use the laptop monitor full-time.
Laptop monitors are small. They are also way too low. Looking down at a laptop monitor causes the muscles on the front of my neck to contract and shorten. It’s also causing the muscles on the back of my neck to activate and lengthen. This confusion caused chronic pain, muscle tension, and dysfunction in my neck. To make these negative health risks even more dangerous, hold this position for 8 hours a day. The repetitive strain and overuse gets exponentially worse. This can cause spinal disc degeneration.
Laptop Monitor Solution:
I plug my laptop into an external monitor as often as possible. This way, I can easily raise my external monitor to the correct eye level, while keeping my laptop on the desk so I can still use its keyboard and mouse. I raise my external monitor so that the top of the screen is at eye level. This allows me to keep my neck in a comfortable, neutral, balanced position.
To learn more about decreasing computer-related neck pain, check out my article titled Computer Neck Pain Remedies.
3. Monitor is too far from eyes
I used to sit with my monitor pushed back near the back edge of my desk. I’m not really sure why. I wasn’t thinking much about good computer posture at the time. But it was definitely causing eye strain. Once I realized it, I finally pulled my monitor closer to me.
Monitor Distance Solution:
I like to work with my monitor between 18 to 24 inches away from my eyes. This has helped me reduce eye strain when working on a computer for 8 hours a day.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!
If you liked this article on common computer posture mistakes, check out my book titled 45 Ways to Improve Computer Posture.
This book is a great supplement to the article you just read. It covers healthy ergonomic habits like posture, sleep, hydration, and breathing.
I wrote this book to be the resource I wish I had back in 2002, when I first started sitting at a computer for long periods of time.
Go to SittingPosture.com/book to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen