What Is The Correct Ergonomic Sitting Posture In The Office?

Sitting for a long time regularly is linked to many health issues including obesity, diabetes, heart diseases and other issues. However, we often forget that sitting for a long time is a common cause of posture issues. A large proportion of workers in offices, where are large period of the day is spent sitting. This means following the correct sitting posture is even more important for office workers. However, many of us get this wrong.

This section will cover the health risks of bad sitting posture in the office, the correct ergonomic sitting position and how we can move around more in the office.

Table of contents：

What are the health risks of sitting with bad posture at work？

What is office ergonomics?

What is the correct ergonomic sitting posture?

How do you improve posture in an office chair?

What Is An Ergonomic Office Chair?

Posture tips for office workers

How can you keep moving at work?

What Are The Health Risks Of Bad Posture In The Office?

Bad sitting posture in the office can most commonly cause back and neck pain, which are often the most popular complaints from office workers. This can be due to disc degeneration, or because of the excess pressure being suffered by the spine. Back and neck pain can also be due to a slumped position causing nerve constriction, as the spine and other bones change their position due to long-term effects of bad posture. When this happens, the skeletal system begins to come into contact with surrounding nerves, “pinching” them. If nerves become pinched, this causes pain in the body, most commonly in the back and neck.

Slouching is directly related to nerve constriction：

Health risks of practising bad posture in the office don’t just include neck and back pain. There is a large variety of problems that can be caused by bad posture, including joint pain, muscle stiffness and permanent slumping. Bad sitting posture in the office can also cause hip pain, knee pain and ankle pain. Studies have shown that bad posture in the office is also linked to digestion issues. Sitting in a slouched position all day can compress your abdominal organs, which includes your digestive tract. This can have an impact on your metabolism and affects your ability to process food correctly.

Slouching in the office can even negatively affect your lung capacity and ability to breathe properly. This occurs as slouching causes the muscles and tendons in the front of your body to become shortened. The impact of this can make it difficult to take full, deep breaths.

What Is Repetitive Strain Injury?

Repetitive strain injury refers to the pain felt in muscles, nerves and tendons due to repetitive movements and overuse injury. The term not only refers to wrist and hand injuries caused by typing, but can be a range of painful or uncomfortable conditions of the muscles, tendons, nerves and other soft tissues. 

Most cases of repetitive strain injuries have their bases in the nerves in the upper body, from the nerves in the neck and shoulders down into the wrists and hands. Repetitive strain injury can be caused by consistently sitting in an uncomfortable, un-natural position, as well as common mistakes such as straining.

Dangers To Avoid When Sitting At Your Desk

When sitting at your desk, you should try and avoid slouching and leaning forward in your chair. These common errors can often be a main cause of back and neck pain.

You should also ensure your chair height isn’t too high or low. When you are sitting with the knees significantly above the hips, this indicates that your chair is too low. This increases the risk of slouching, as sitting with your knees above your hips can promote the rounding of the spine, increasing pressure on the discs. You should also ensure your chair height isn’t too high, as this can put pressure on your thighs. Sitting on a chair that is too high can also reduce the back flow of blood, sometimes causing swelling in the legs, varicose veins and swelling in the ankles. A seat height ranging from 16 to 21 inches off the ground is suitable for most workers.

Paying attention to how often you are standing and moving around at work is also important, as not doing so can result in repetitive strain injury and muscle stiffness. The incorrect placement of your keyboard and mouse is also a common cause of repetitive strain injury, as this causes straining.

What Is Office Ergonomics?

Ergonomics is the science of looking at how workers can be more efficient and comfortable when performing job functions. It involves establishing an ideal fit between a worker, their working environment and the tasks they carry out. When applied to an office setting, this means looking for the best way to sit comfortably and safe using ergonomic equipment such as computers and chairs. Office ergonomics looks at every aspect from monitor placement to typing ergonomics. It also involves ensuring you are sitting in a position that poses no health risks.

Ergonomic sitting posture means studying an individual's sitting position in the office. This focuses purely on following proper posture ergonomics to ensure you sit in a way that optimizes comfort and efficiency in the work environment. Following ergonomic sitting posture tips reduces your risk of pain, discomfort and work-related injuries. This concept focuses on an individual’s back and neck position at work, and how their legs are positioned.

What Is The Correct Ergonomic Sitting Posture In The Office?

The correct ergonomic sitting position includes having both feet on the floor, as this keeps the pelvis balanced and makes it easier for you to arch your lower back. Your elbows should be by the side of your body so your arm forms an L-shape at the elbow joint. You should also sit straight in your chair, resisting the urge to slouch. 

Keeping a straight back and sitting up straight means your bones, ligaments, muscles and joints can properly align themselves. This means extra strain and stress is eliminated, preventing back ache and other muscle pains. Sitting up straight also means you keep your head straight rather than facing down, which prevents the risk of developing neck ache. Ensure you are sat with your hip far back in your chair. Your knees should ideally be in line with your hips.

How Do You Improve Posture In An Office Chair?

Your sitting posture in an office chair can often be improved through being more aware of how you are sat in the office. To ensure your posture doesn’t worsen throughout the day, you can remind yourself frequently to ensure your back is straight and both your feet are planted flat on the floor. You should adjust your chair so your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are in line with your hips. If you are struggling to follow the correct the posture in an office chair, you can invest in the correct ergonomic office chair. 

What Is An Ergonomic Office Chair?

Ergonomic office chairs are scientifically built with posture, comfort, support and health in mind. A good chair will help with all four of these considerations and for long term office workers, an ergonomic chair is vital. The ergonomics of a chair explained is quite a lengthy process, but here is a summary of what makes an office chair, ergonomic.

Seat Height - Enabling you to lower or raise the seat in accordance with your personal height. This allows you to keep your keep flat on the ground when sitting correctly

Seat Pan Depth - Position how far forward you back you would like the seat. Again this is in accordance with your size, as each of us are different from one another

Backrest Height - Tailor the backrest height to follow the natural curve of your spine. For taller people, the backrest will want to be positioned much higher than a shorter person

Swivel Base - A swivel base enables you to turn to face different parts of your office desk. This helps decrease the likelihood of twisting in an unnatural position to reach for something such as a telephone

Back Angle - This allows you to recline the backrest to help take some of the weight off your upper body

Seat Tilt  - Position your seat to a comfortable angle for your pelvis while also keeping your thighs horizontal to the ground for maximum comfort and positioning

Arm Support - Adjust the height and width of your office chair arms to be aligned with your desk and keyboard

Lumbar Support - Fully adjustable lumbar support to ensure the natural ‘s’ shape of our spine is fully supported

Headrest - Take the strain off upper back and shoulders by positioning the headrest correctly

Posture Tips For Office Workers

We recommends the following tips to help your sitting posture in the office:

√ Adjust your chair so your forearms are straight and level with the floor. This prevents repetitive strain injuries.

√ Take regular short breaks, as these are better for your back than fewer long ones.

√ Avoid wearing bifocals. Bifocal glasses mean you may not be able to see the screen properly without having to raise or lower your head frequently.

√ Don't cross your legs, as this can contribute to posture-related health problems. Crossing the legs puts pressure on the peroneal nerve, which supplies sensation to your legs and feet.

√ Avoid phone strain. If you spend a lot of time on the phone in your office, consider exchanging your handset for a headset. Cradling a phone between your ear and shoulder can strain the muscles in the neck.

In Conclusion

Finding the best posture for sitting at a desk all day is important. Bad posture can actually change the shape of your spine and cause physical issues. By investing in ergonomic products such as a chair, mouse, mouse pad, monitor stand or even a stand up desk can help you on your way to improving your posture. 

In today’s job market sitting all day is the new normal. If you spend most of your time sitting, take care of yourself. Learn how to improve your posture and avoid preventable injuries and strains. By following the above tips you can achieve good posture.