Surely you know it yourself: After a long day of work in front of the computer, your back hurts, your neck and shoulders are tense or your knees and hips hurt. If you suffer from one of these problems and already have to take painkillers, it’s time to do something about it and work on the right sitting position. Sitting for hours on an ergonomic office chair is certainly not good for your health, but you can prevent pain by adopting the right sitting position. So don’t just make sure your workstation is furnished with a high-quality office chair, but also get into the habit of sitting in the right position. We tell you what the sitting posture for optimal relief of the spine looks like.
Which sitting position is healthy?
The right sitting position to best support your back when working at a desk has not existed until now. That’s why we’ve created a way to reverse the shortening of the hip flexor muscle caused by sitting, by allowing you to work with your hips hyperextended. We have provided you with numerous tips on how it is possible to work with hyperextended hips, with and without aids. If it is not possible for you to work in this way at all, for example because you have a new hip joint, then these recommendations apply to you, because it is the best that existed before working with a hyperextended hip:
The 40-15-5 rule
The so-called dynamic sitting on the chair, is better than normal sitting and is therefore better for our body. This means nothing other than that you should change your sitting position on the seat as often as possible. Already shifting the weight from the right to the left buttock has a positive effect on the back and intervertebral discs. It’s even better if you have the opportunity to get up from your chair every now and then and stretch your legs. If you don’t have this option, get into the habit of at least standing up when you make a phone call. The 40-15-5 rule states the following: Your optimal workday is 40 minutes an hour of dynamic sitting in a chair, 15 minutes of standing, and 5 minutes of walking. Of course, it is not always possible to implement it this way. Therefore, try to incorporate as much exercise as possible into your daily routine as well. For example, use your lunch break for a short walk or take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Exercise after work important
The best thing for your back and your general well-being is to exercise several times a week after work for at least half an hour. It doesn’t matter which sport you do and it’s up to your personal preferences. Of course, it’s best to do as many movements as possible that you don’t do in the office, such as stretching exercises, hyperextending your hips, stretching your arms and legs, hyperextending your wrists. Keep in mind that while jogging and biking is exercise, it doesn’t add any direction of motion to your joints and can make already shortened muscles even shorter. So, if you do such sports, then you should at least additionally do stretching exercises from Alsgleich. An aerobics class at the fitness center would also be an option. The most important thing is still: The main thing is that you enjoy the movement.
Correctly adjust ergonomic office chair and desk for correct sitting position: Here’s what you need to pay attention to
You will only succeed in achieving the correct sitting position at your desk if your desk and office chair are adapted to your body size. So make sure you can adjust the height of not only your office chair, but also your desk. Whether you prefer an office chair with or without armrests is up to your own preferences. We recommend an office chair with armrests, where you can comfortably rest your forearms. Reposition the armrest as often as possible to use all possible different arm positions. Also change your seat height often, this will also influence the position of your knee and ankle joints so that they do not get rusty in a fixed position.
Useful helpers for a correct sitting position
Of crucial importance for the correct sitting position is a high-quality office chair with a comfortable seat. This should be adjustable not only in height but also in inclination. However, it does not always have to be the classic office chair – special forms of office chairs promote dynamic sitting.
Place screen differently
When buying, look for a well-padded seat and an adjustable backrest. At best, the backrest is equipped with a lumbar support, because this also promotes an upright sitting posture. In addition to a good chair with a comfortable backrest and individual height adjustment options, pay attention to how you position your other work equipment on the desk. Ideally, you should keep changing the position of the screen, mouse and keyboard. For example, it makes sense to look at the screen sometimes from the right and sometimes from the left, and to place the screen sometimes further up and repeatedly further down. This is the only way to keep your body moving and your muscles from shortening even more.
Why sitting for long periods of time is so unhealthy
Unfortunately, everyday work requires many people to spend several hours in a seated position and not everyone has an ergonomic office chair. Statistics even show that many of us spend 10 years of our lives sitting in front of a computer. This is a frightening figure when one considers the possible consequences of diseases. Back pain is the number one common disease and in most cases caused sitting. But obesity, diabetes and various heart diseases are also the result of a lack of exercise and an unbalanced sitting load. A study by the Techniker Krankenkasse health insurance fund shows that 36% of all employees who perform their work primarily in a seated position suffer from musculoskeletal disorders.
Place your printer far away
So also make sure to leave your workplace as often as you can. Therefore, it makes sense if your printer is not located directly at the workstation. It should be located far enough away from your desk so that you have to get up every time to get your printouts.
If you sit statically on your seat all day, you encourage pain and tension. Frequently changing the position of both arms and legs can prevent them and has another positive side effect: dynamic sitting significantly improves blood circulation and makes you feel more rested. Your brain is better supplied with oxygen, which increases your concentration.
More tips for a back-friendly workday at the desk
Even if you have found the right sitting position for your upper body: sitting for hours on end is still not beneficial to your health, even if it is on an ergonomic office chair. It also makes you tired, so you can do your work less concentrated. Therefore, build regular exercise breaks into your workday and stretch and stretch extensively. Although the upright sitting position is the right one, it doesn’t hurt to lounge around after a while. Always remember: change your posture as often as possible.
Statistics from health insurance companies show that we Germans spend an average of 7.5 hours a day sitting. Not only on the chair at the desk: On the way to work we sit in the car or the train and at home we make ourselves comfortable in front of the TV. So it’s no wonder that our posture suffers as a result and we experience pain in our back, buttocks, hips or legs.
Conclusion
There is no such thing as the right sitting posture at the desk. An ergonomic office chair is only half the battle. Only sitting with the hips hyperextended counteracts the muscle shortening that occurs when sitting. Continue to make sure to change postures frequently. Last but not least: Design your workspace so that it is perfectly suited to your body. It’s not you who should have to adapt to your office furniture, but the other way around.
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