Home » Tips For Maintaining Good Upper Back Posture While Using a Computer

If you spend any amount of time sitting in front of a computer screen there is a good chance that you will be familiar with the aches and pains that set in after a while. With computer use becoming a daily routine for most of us it has never been more important to maintain good posture while at out desks to avoid health problems such as upper and lower back pain, neck pain, headaches and general muscle fatigue, just to name a few. Read on to find out what you can do to maintain good posture while sitting at your PC.

• An adjustable chair with good back support is a must. If your chair is lacking in back support a small pillow placed in the small of your back can help and if you already have a back complaint a kneeling chair may also be a good option as they transfer your bodies weight from your lower spine and hips to your legs. They can take a while to get used to though!
• Have your chair set a height that allows your feet to rest flat on the floor with your knees slightly higher or level with your hips. If you find the chair is to high use a platform to support your feet. Do Not tuck your feet under the chair!
• A chair that reclines slightly is also useful in moving your body's weight on to the back rest rather than your spine taking all of the weight. Also keep the chair close to the desk to help maintain a more upright position.
• Keep your head up and avoid leaning forward. Place any typing material on an angle rather than flat on the desk where you have to continually lean forward to read them.
• Position the top of your screen just below eye level and close enough so that you don't have to lean forward or move your head in any way to read it and have enough room in front and beside your keyboard to rest your hands and wrists. Your shoulders should be able to 'hang' loosely without any muscle tension.
• Above all, take frequent breaks away from your desk. The human body is not designed to sit idle in one place for any great length of time. Once muscle fatigue sets in it is almost impossible to maintain good posture. Even if you can manage two minutes every hour away from your desk, preferably walking rather than just standing you will feel a lot better for it.

 

Of course this is a lot to remember and maintaining correct posture one hundred percent of the time would take a super human effort, however there now is a software application available that uses a web cam to continually monitor your upper body position and displays a warning message on your screen when you have moved into a dangerous position for any length of time. Combine a well setup work station and this software and your back and neck pains will be a thing of the past!

Don't leave good posture to chance! For more information on this innovative software application please see Back Pain Products. Simple and easy to use, the Posture Minder takes the guesswork out of maintaining good posture while using a computer.