How to sit at your desk correctly: Our top tips
Are you or your employees struggling with posture or back pain? The solution could be simple. Some simple adjustments to your working environment could make all the difference.
According to Personnel Today, roughly 81% of us spend around 67 days sitting at our desks a year. With this much time spent seated, we have to make sure we are positioning ourselves correctly to maintain a healthy body, starting with great posture.
Ensuring good posture
There are many steps to ensuring good posture, starting with supporting your back. We recommend investing in a chair that you can easily adjust the height, tilt and back position. A correctly adjusted chair will reduce the strain on different areas of your back. We also recommend that knees are kept a bit lower than your hips. Don’t forget footrests can be used if needed. We have a wide range of footrests available!
Chairs and making adjustments
The importance of a well-adjusted chair doesn’t stop there. Your chair should be at a height you can use your keyboard with your forearms and wrists straight and level with the floor. This helps to prevent repetitive strain. When you have your elbows at your side, they should be an L-shape at your elbow joint.
Keep your feet on the floor
Having your feet placed flat on the floor rather than crossed is another important way to avoid posture-related issues.
If you need more support with this, we suggest having a reliable workplace assessment which we can help with.
Having a screen at eye level
Your screen should be at eye-level. If your screen is too high or low you may have to bend your neck which can cause discomfort and cause further strain. A computer stand will help with this for adjusting the height. Check out our range of stands here.
Make sure objects are easily accessible
Make sure objects are easy to reach. Your keyboard should be directly in front of you, your mouse should also be easy to access so you don’t have to strain to reach it. Other items such as telephones, staplers, and anything else you use frequently should all be in close proximity.
Bifocal spectacles
Another top tip is to avoid wearing bifocal spectacles at your desk as you could be frequently tilting your head, which can cause strain without you even noticing.
Take breaks
Finally, take regular breaks! Taking more frequent, shorter breaks are better for you than less longer ones. It also ensures a change in posture which will maintain a healthy body.
For more information on maintaining a great posture take a look at our DSE assessment info or you can check out the NHS website on posture mistakes and fixes.
