Computer workstation ergonomics can be a complex topic. Computer-related pain hurts. It’s also stressful, depressing, and it can impact work productivity.
The goods news is, we can always improve. It might only be a 1% improvement. But imagine a 1% improvement every day, over a period of a few months.
The best way of posture correction for office workers is through small, healthy habits practiced on a daily basis. It took a long time for sitting at a computer to break our bodies down. It’s also going to take a long time to improve our posture.
But pain-free, productive computer posture is an attainable goal. And you reading this article is a big step towards that goal. So congratulations! That’s something to be proud of. Let’s get started with some healthy sitting habits.
This article will talk about the furniture and technology that I require for my ergonomic desk setup. It’ll also talk about healthy sitting habits for proper computer posture.
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.
Correct Sitting Position for Computer Work
Ergonomic desk setup
This section is a short summary from my article titled What do I Need to Buy for an Ergonomic Workstation? The below items are key office furniture and technology I need for my ergonomic desk setup.
Height-adjustable desk
A height-adjustable desk is the most important tool in my computer ergonomics toolkit.
Despite all my healthy sitting habits, I still work in multiple different positions throughout the workday. Because sitting at a computer is not the only enemy. Working in the exact same position for long periods of time, that’s what we want to avoid.
A height-adjustable desk allows easy and convenient ability to switch from a sit to stand workstation quickly.
Ergonomic keyboard and mouse
I used to have carpal tunnel pain from using a tall, bulky keyboard and mouse. This is because I had to extend my wrists to lift my hands onto that high keyboard and mouse. Keeping my wrists in this extended position for long periods of time caused wrist pain.
When I switched to a flat, low-profile keyboard and mouse, I was able to keep my wrists straight instead of extended. My wrist pain went away in just a few days. It was pretty eye-opening how one healthy habit change made such a drastic improvement.
External monitor
An external monitor is the second most important tool of my computer workstation ergonomics (height-adjustable desk is the most important). Aligning monitor height for better posture isn’t possible if working on a laptop monitor.
It is the biggest factor that helps me prevent neck pain from computer use. It allows me to keep my head and neck in a balanced, neutral position. I need the top of my monitor screen to be even with eye level.
It also helps me prevent back pain at work. Since my laptop monitor is too low, it causes me to tilt my head downward. This starts a chain reaction of poor posture mistakes. One of them is slouching forward, which caused me computer-related back pain in the past.
Ergonomic office chair
Office workers have different variables when it comes to choosing an office chair. Height, width, arm length, leg length, etc. Adjusting an office chair for comfort and support are the most important variables. If I can’t get comfortable in a chair, and feel supported, it’s not the right one for me.
I’ve yet to see a specific chair that would be ideal for all office workers. But there’s always healthy sitting habits that can improve computer posture, regardless of the chair. To learn about these office chair posture tips, check out How to Sit Comfortably in an Office Chair.
Proper Computer Posture for Sitting
The most important variables of a correct sitting position for computer work are:
Elbow height slightly higher than desk level
This helps to reduce shoulder pain at a computer. Because when my elbow height was below desk level, it was a painful posture mistake. It would cause me to activate my bicep for long periods of time. This repetitive strain and overuse caused pain in my bicep tendons that attach to bone in the shoulder area.
Feet flat on the floor (or a footrest)
This keeps my feet and ankles in a neutral, balanced position. Not keeping my feet flat for long periods of time used to cause muscle tension and joint dysfunction throughout my legs.
If you have to raise your chair to get the correct elbow height, this might lift your feet off the floor. If so, stay with that correct chair height to maintain correct elbow level (slightly above desk level). Then, invest in a footrest and keep your feet flat on the footrest.
Hip level slightly higher than knee level
I used to have my chair too low. This would keep my hips below my knees. This caused overuse of my hip flexors. Over time, my hip flexors compressed and shortened.
Once I raised my chair, I was able to raise my hips to the correct level (slightly above my knee level). This took pressure off my hips, reducing a lot of repetitive strain and overuse.
Spine in a neutral, balanced position with its natural curves intact
My computer posture improved significantly once I started to learn about the human spine. When looking from a front or rear angle, the spine is ideally straight. But when looking from a side angle, the spine has natural curves.
Slouching forward, or sitting up too straight, can cause the spine to lose these curves. This will lead to computer-related back pain.
Sitting with the spine in a neutral, balanced position with its natural curves intact is critical for preventing back pain at work.
To learn more about the natural curves of the spine, check out my article titled Computer Posture: Why “Sit Up Straight” is Bad Advice.
Top of the monitor screen should be even with eye level
Aligning monitor height for better posture is very important to prevent neck pain from computer use. I used to look down at a monitor that was too low. I would hold my head in this compromised position for long periods of time. It caused neck pain, headaches, and shoulder tension.
I work off a laptop, but I use an external monitor. This makes it easy to raise the top of my monitor screen to eye level.
It also increases my work productivity. Because my external monitor is a lot larger than my laptop monitor. This allows me to work with 2 windows open at the same time. It also reduces eye strain, because laptop monitors are typically small.
Now that you know all these healthy sitting habits, check out my article titled Correct Standing Position for Computer Work.
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 the correct sitting position for computer work, 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
