Computer-related injuries are a common cause for muscle tension and chronic pain. Computer posture can be a complex topic. But my goal is to simplify it as much as possible.
Pain-free, proper posture for computer use is an attainable goal. If you’re reading this article, congratulations! You’re taking a huge step forward to improve your computer ergonomics, as well as your quality of life. That’s something to be very proud of. Thanks for your interest in sitting posture.
This article will answer frequently asked questions related to computer posture. The questions are:
- Why is computer posture important for health?
- What are the effects of poor posture while working at a computer desk?
- How often should I take breaks to avoid bad posture?
- What causes shoulder tension during computer work?
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.
Computer Posture: Frequently Asked Questions, Part 2
Why is computer posture important for health?
There are numerous benefits of having good computer posture. In my experience, these benefits have included:
- improved posture away from my office desk
- decreased computer-related pain
- improved mental clarity
- increased work productivity
- increased energy
- improved body awareness
- improved flexibility
- increased range of motion
- decreased stress
- improved blood flow
- quicker recovery times
What are the effects of poor posture while working at a computer desk?
In my experience, these are the negative effects I used to suffer from, before I improved my poor computer posture:
- muscle tension
- chronic pain
- joint dysfunction
- decreased mental clarity
- less energy
- poor workouts in the gym
- lower work productivity
- spinal disc degeneration
- headaches
How often should I take breaks to avoid bad computer posture?
This is one of those answers that’s different for each of us. We all have different variables in our lives. Work load, stress level, physical ability, etc.
Personally, this answer even changes for me from time to time. Generally speaking, I don’t want to work in the same position for more than 30 to 45 minutes. Depending on how productive I am and if I feel any computer-related pain, I may change this time frame. If I’m getting some quality work done and I don’t feel any pain, I may work up to an hour before taking a break. But that’s about as long as I’ll go working in the same position.
My breaks aren’t anything crazy. I don’t do any pushups, squats, or stretches, like some office workers do. If that works for them, that’s good. But it’s just not my personal preference. I want to get back to work and be as productive and creative as possible. So, all I want to do during my breaks is get in some movement. I walk around and get the blood flowing throughout my body (especially my legs). I drink some water, then return to my desk about 5 minutes later.
Another healthy habit I do, I usually switch positions from sit to stand, and vice versa, when I return from each break. Because it’s not necessarily the position we are working in that causes computer-related pain. It’s often how long the period of time is that we work in that exact same position. That’s what causes repetitive strain and overuse injuries.
What causes shoulder tension during computer work?
In my experience, there was one computer posture mistake I made that was the biggest cause of shoulder tension. My elbow height was below my desk level. This caused me to activate my biceps for 8 hours a day, to lift my hands up onto my keyboard and mouse.
Although this may not seem like a big deal, think of it like this. Think about doing dumbbell curls with 1 pound dumbbells. Not a big deal, right? But now, think about holding those dumbbell curls (with both arms) at the top for 8 hours a day. That’s what it was like to sit with my elbow height too low (below the desk level).
Biceps are connected, by tendons, to bone in the shoulder area. This repetitive strain and overuse of my biceps caused a chain reaction into my shoulders, that led to excessive internal shoulder rotation.
To do a deeper dive on this question, check out my article titled Why Does Sitting at a Computer Cause Shoulder Pain?
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 computer posture frequently asked questions, 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