Let’s talk posture:
Whether you are working from a desk or your kitchen counter, it’s time to get creative to give yourself the best working environment.
Have you taken the time to set up your work from home space?
It is essential to set ourselves up to be in the best physical and mental state possible, and having a comfortable supportive physical work space can be the start to that.
The Chair: Your chair needs to provide you with stability. Did you know hard chairs (the old wooden chair by the front door or the chair in your dining room) provide your hips with the best stability. Due to their lack of cushion for the gluteals (butt) muscles, it forces you to sit tall from the pelvis to the crown of your head. Sitting away from the back of the chair allows you to sit in a dignified posture, feet flat, knees under hips in front of you.
The Feet: Having your feet flat with your knees at right angles, provides the hips and legs with support. If your chair is too tall and your feet dangle, try putting a shoe box or step stool under your feet until you find the right height where your knees are slightly lower than your hips, and not above them.
The Desk: Whether you are at a kitchen counter, dining room table or desk, laptop or computer, have a family member take a few photos of your workplace set-up for you to analyze.
Notice the angles of your elbows, can they comfortably rest on the desk in front of you as you type or write? If not what can you change to make that possible?
If you are not using a laptop, are you able to bring the monitor higher up so you aren’t looking down as much?
Take breaks: The only real way to salvage poor posture and pain from a repetitive motion is to take breaks! If you are having trouble remembering to get up, set an alarm or an event in your calendar reminding you to stand up, roll the shoulders forwards and backwards, and take a walk. This walk can be 5 deep breaths in one direction and 5 deep breaths going back. It doesn’t have to be long, consider it your 5 min wellness break. Try and do this at least a two times every day (once you get in the habit you might notice you will want to take more of these breaks!).
Unsure about your current ergonomic set-up? Send me a picture and we can go over it together.
Poor Posture
My weight is back in the chair and my upper back is rounding.
Forward Head Posture
With a forward head posture the increase in weight my upper back, into my low back and entire spine, increases exponentially every angle further forwards I allow my head to reach.
Improved Posture
Ergonomically: I’m sitting off the back of my chair so my spine is long, my ear is in alignment with the top of my shoulder, shoulder aligned with hip. Feet are planted flat on the floor with a comfortable bend at the knees.