What is the Best Posture for Sitting at a Desk All Day?
It is definitely necessary to learn the best posture for sitting at a desk. A lot of jobs require us to work on a desk for about 8 to 9 hours and it isn’t always possible to get up and stay active. We all know sitting for long periods of time can lead to back and neck pain. The culprit is usually prolonged, sedentary posture.
What is a Good Sitting Posture?
A good sitting posture involves training our body to sit in a position where there is the least strain on your muscles and ligaments, and at the same time supported by the right amount of muscle tension while seated for a period of time.
Correct sitting posture can help by:
decreasing the stress on the spinal ligaments thus improving spine health
preventing the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions.
reducing wear and tear on the joints, muscles and ligaments
preventing backache and muscular pain.
Why should we Avoid Poor Sitting Posture?
Sitting with a poor posture, places strain on the spine and associated ligaments, and cause misalignments to the spine. Most of the back pain sufferer will admit their posture is less than ideal. Over time and repetition, the structures deform and surrounding muscles are forced to compensate, leading to chronic pain conditions.
To prevent bad posture and back health we should avoid:
sitting for an extended period without taking a break
sitting slanted to one side with the spine bent
dangling or not properly supporting the feet
straining the neck for long periods while looking at a monitor screen or document
sitting in a position that does not fully support the back, especially the lower back
A Simple Guideline to Maintaining Good Sitting Posture
Tips for Proper Sitting at a Desk
Having learnt this process, it is natural to assume sitting up straight will solve the problem. However, research has shown that sitting up right at 90 degrees causes the most spinal disc deviation, meaning the most strain is felt when perfectly straight. In fact, the least spinal disc deviation is found to be seated with a slight tilt backwards, and that is the sitting posture we should employ.
Thus, when working at a desk for long periods, a person can help improve their sitting posture by:
sitting up with a slight tilt backwards and looking forward without straining the neck
keeping the shoulders in a relaxed position
keeping feet flat either the floor or a footrest
avoiding crossing knees or ankles
positioning knees at the same height or slightly lower than the hips
placing ankles in front of the knees
keeping the forearms and knees parallel to the floor where possible
keeping the back fully supported against the chair, or using a backrest or cushion if there are places where the back does not comfortably meet the chair, especially in the lower back region
getting up and moving around occasionally, especially when experiencing any muscle or joint pain
avoiding sitting for long periods at a time, ideally taking at least a 10-minute break for every hour of sitting
Conclusion
By knowing what a good sitting posture looks like and following a few simple rules, most people can learn how to self-correct and thus achieve good posture. Making additional lifestyle changes, such as doing a good amount of various exercises and taking movement breaks throughout the day, can also help.
A person with poor posture can correct it with time, awareness, and commitment. It can take weeks to months for some people to see significant benefits from working on their posture. Once a person has improved their posture they will need to work at maintaining it, so they may often have to remind themselves to recognize unhealthy positions and correct them. Always remember that once you are in the correct sitting position, try doing a mental check every 10 to 15 minutes to see if the posture has altered and then correct any changes.
Visits to Livewell Chiropractor SengKang helped me to reduce chronic back and shoulder pain with back posture readjustment together with given home exercise. Dr Chaw Siew Wei expertise to focus on aching points helped to relax tense shoulder.
winnie lee
2023-07-05
I suffered from back pains for quite awhile now and have been visiting Dr Jessie for the past few months. Since then, my condition has improved, no longer have frequent back pains. Highly recommend Dr Jessie, friendly, engaging and professional!
Hong Hui Teo
2023-07-05
I had suffer lower back slip disc at my L4 bone for 13 years. Way back, i had went to hospital for MRI scan, refer to bone specialist and even tried TCM but non of them work well. Time and money spend in the past but the aching/pain just cannot resolve hence at one point of time i had already given up the hope for my slip disc and have the mind set to just live with the pain forever. Recently, happen to saw Chiropractic Ads in my facebook so i decided to give it a try. Did some research online and found LiveWell Sengkang so decided to give it a last tried. Dr Siew Wei was my chiropractor. After 2 session with Dr Siew Wei, realize my back was not as ache as before and surprisingly my body movement had improved as previously due to the aching/pain my body movement when straightening my back is like having this one to two sec pain/aching lag time whenever i bend down and up to do thing. Somehow, Chiropractic improve my body movement and daily lifestyle so I decided to sign up for a 20 session with Dr Siew Wei to continue maintaining my back ache.
Overall, i feel the time and money spend is really worth here as I can really see the result here after 2 session with Dr Siew Wei.
John Cole
2023-06-11
Dr Jessie assessment was accurate as per what XRay shows. Her chiropractic skill was amicable and was engaging throughout the process..kudos!
Adrielle Alemania
2023-06-11
I had an ankle surgery 6 months ago and with a scoliosis, it definitely affected my walking during rehabilitation. And I also suffered from severe back pain. with proper exercises, stretching and Chiropractic treatment with Dr. Jessie. I definitely feel a huge improvement on my walking and there’s lesser back pain. Dr. Jessie is a very well versed Chiropractor, she is also very friendly and tends to every patient with different specific treatment. I had chiro treatment done few years back and this is definitely a better clinic! Also I would like to thank the counter staff for always being flexible with my timing.
Daniel Ng
2023-06-09
Made an appt after feeling stiff necks and shoulders. Attended to by Dr Kenney. Recommended to do an x-ray and realised I have cervical neck. Now midway to the treatment and feeling much better. Even the chest tightness I used to have, is also better now (yes, chest tightness or pain can be caused by chiropractic issues). Definitely recommend - most of time, the appt are punctual and treatments are fast.
Vivien Chan
2023-06-09
I highly recommend Live Well Chiropractic for their exceptional chiropractic treatment. My doctor, Dr. Kenney Truong is professional, knowledgeable, and compassionate. He has demonstrated an impressive level of expertise and provided effective and timely treatment - successfully addressing both symptoms and root causes of pain.
Patient education and empowerment are prioritized, and the clinic has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Overall, my experience has resulted in significant pain relief and improved well-being.
ily a
2023-06-03
My experience with Livewell has been great! Dr kenney always manage to help me alleviate the pain around my problematic areas. Their prices are reasonable too.
Zi Jie Tham (M字秃Uncle的中年危机)
2023-05-31
Dr Kenney is very professional and patient. He will check with you any pain and adjust treatment accordingly. There is no pain for doing chiropractic unlike surgery. Though it will take some times to improve body condition progressively.
