If you spend your days at a screen or even worse, on a laptop, chances are your neck, shoulders, or lower back have had their say. Good news: you don’t need a perfect posture to feel good — you need a variety of postures and some simple habits that keep you moving.
What actually causes the aches?
It’s less about one “bad” position and more about staying in any one position for too long. Try this: bend your index finger as far backwards as you can. Hold it there for a minute, then let it relax. Sore, right? Well, your posture joints and muscles are no different. Muscles get tired, joints get stiff, and your brain starts to interpret that as discomfort. Variety is your best friend.
Improve your posture at your desk
- – Move every 30–45 minutes. Stand up, walk to the printer, roll your shoulders, look far into the distance. Moving our whole bodies, regularly, will be better than any single stretch or exercise. There is no one magic elixir, but the sum of many.
- – Chair setup: have your hips slightly higher than your knees, and make sure your feet are flat to the floor. If you can’t reach the floor, use a small box or stool to ensure they can get there. You might also like to use a folded-up towel behind your lower back, if your chair doesn’t offer you enough support. Pro tip: don’t use a rolled towel because this will likely arch your back too much, and take you into an unnatural position.
- – Monitor height: top of the screen, not the middle of it, should be at around eye level. If you find yourself leaning forward throughout the day, bring the screen closer to you.
- – Keyboard & mouse: close enough that elbows stay by your sides. They should comfortably sit at 90 degrees while resting on the armrests of your chair.
