Most computer posture mistakes have easy fixes. Once we correct sitting posture at a desk, the hard part is consistently practicing these healthy habits.
This article will talk about 5 painful computer posture mistakes I used to make. Then, it’ll talk about the 5 computer posture tips I used to fix these mistakes and prevent pain at a computer.
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 Mistakes
Office Desk Posture Mistakes
Mistake #1: Working in the same position for long periods of time.
Believe it or not, a sitting position isn’t the biggest computer posture health risk. The main enemy is working in the same position for long periods of time. Then, we put ourselves right back in that same position 5 days a week. Over and over again. Repetitive strain and overuse injuries are the biggest problems for desk worker health.
Mistake #2: Monitor screen is too low.
This is probably the most painful computer posture mistake I used to make. It doesn’t matter if we are working on a laptop screen or a full-sized monitor. If our monitor is too low, it can cause computer-related neck and back pain.
Notice how the user (above) has to look down to use her laptop screen. Doing this for long periods of time is a common, painful way to cause neck pain from a computer. When using a laptop, the only way to get in correct computer sitting position is to use an external monitor. Otherwise, we will always be looking down, causing neck and back pain.
Mistake #3: Elbow level is below desk level.
This is another painful computer posture mistake I used to make. Having my elbows below desk level caused me to activate my biceps to lift my hands onto my keyboard and mouse. Constantly maintaining this bicep activation for long periods of time would overuse my bicep muscles. Once my biceps got excessively tight, they pulled on the tendons that attach the biceps to both the shoulders and the elbows. We are much more likely to feel pain in a tendon before we feel it in a muscle. Having elbow level too low is the cause of the problem. It causes tight biceps, which cause painful tendonitis. The pain is the effect of the problem.
This muscle and tendon cause/effect dynamic doesn’t only happen in the biceps. Especially when it comes to computer ergonomics for posture. It can happen in the hip flexors, hamstrings, and more. To dive deeper on this topic, check out my article titled Poor Computer Posture: The Cause and Effect Relationship Between Muscle Tension and Chronic Pain.
Mistake #4: Knees higher than hips.
I used to sit with my office chair too low. This caused my knees to be higher than my hips. And that caused my hip flexors to stay activated for long periods of time. Tight hip flexors are a huge problem for athletes. They affect the way we run, jump, and squat.
Mistake #5: Feet pulled underneath desk chair.
Take a look at the image below. You’ll notice the user’s feet are pulled slightly underneath his office chair. In order to do this, his has to keep his hamstrings constantly activated. Sitting like this led to muscle tension throughout my entire legs, as well as joint dysfunction in my knees and ankles.
Also, notice how the user in the image above has his knees higher than his hips. This is constantly activating his hip flexors.
Another painful computer posture mistake is his elbows are below desk level. This is causing him to constantly activate his bicep muscles.
How to Sit Correctly at a Computer
Solution #1: Switch between sit to stand positions multiple times throughout the day.
As mentioned earlier, sitting isn’t the enemy. Working in the same position for long periods of time is the enemy. That’s why a height adjustable desk is a valuable tool for good computer ergonomics and posture. It allows me to easily switch from sit to stand positions multiple times throughout the workday.
Notice how the user (above) is using a height adjustable desk. This allows her to easily work in different dynamic positions. She’s not limited to the same static, vulnerable sitting position for all 8 hours a day.
Solution #2: Raise your desk, or your monitor, so the top of the monitor screen meets your eye level (when you are not slouching forward).
This is one of my favorite ergonomic tips to reduce neck and back strain. If you’re using a laptop monitor, a good computer ergonomics tool for better posture would be to use an external monitor.
If you aren’t working from a laptop, it doesn’t necessarily mean your monitor is the correct height. It could still be too low. I always raise my monitor so the top of the screen is even with my eye level.
Notice how the user (below) is working from a laptop. However, he’s taking advantage of using an external monitor. This will definitely decrease his risk of neck and back pain caused by working from a laptop computer.
Maintaining the correct monitor height is a huge first step towards correct sitting posture at a desk. But, it won’t necessarily correct the previous muscle confusion we’ve accumulated in our necks from previous years. To take a proactive approach to strengthen your neck and decrease neck pain from computer use, check out my article titled Iron Neck Review.
Solution #3: Lower your desk, or raise your office chair, until your elbows are slightly above desk level.
This will allow your biceps to relax, so they aren’t constantly contracted. It may add a slight load to your triceps as you’re able to straighten your arms more. But this will depend on how much higher your elbow level is compared to your desk level. I’ve never had an issue with too much muscle activation in my triceps when my elbow level is correct. It’s only been an issue with my biceps when my elbow level is below my desk level.
Solution #4: Raise chair until knees are either even with, or slightly lower than, your hips.
This will allow your hip flexors to relax while working in a sitting position. Working at a computer causes for long periods of time causes some of our muscles to be excessively overused. At the same time, it causes the rest of our muscles to be underused. We need to find a balance between repetitive strain and muscle deactivation while sitting. One thing that helped me achieve that balance is raising my chair until my hips were slightly higher than my knees.
Solution #5: Keep knees at a 90 degree angle (or slightly more).
This will allow you to comfortably keep your feet flat on the floor. Which will prevent excessive muscle tension throughout the legs. It will also prevent joint dysfunction in your knees and ankles.
I took full accountability for my computer ergonomics and posture back in 2011. When I began to correct my computer posture mistakes, I realized that my leg muscles had actually suffered from a lot of repetitive strain and overuse while working in a sitting position. Once I started keeping my feet flat on the floor, it allowed my leg muscles to relax much more.
Notice how the (below) user has good computer ergonomics for posture. His knees are at slightly more than a 90 degree angle. His knees are also slightly lower than his hips. Finally, his elbow level is slightly above his desk level.
Ergonomic Desk Setup
Good computer ergonomics for posture remains the same, regardless if we’re working in a standing or sitting position. Notice how in both images (below), the user’s eye level is at the top of his monitor screen, his elbows are slightly higher than his desk level, and his feet are flat on the floor.
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 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