How to Sit Properly

Recent studies from the World Health Organization and the Archives of Internal Medicine journal have shown that employees who are required to sit for extended periods (about 6 hours daily) have a 40% higher risk of sudden death from health-related issues compared to those who sit less. While it's impossible to avoid sitting in an office setting, learning the correct posture can help you maintain health and safety.

Push your hips as close to the back of the chair as possible. For office chairs, the best way to sit is to slide your hips deeply into the chair so the curved backrest supports your spine and shoulders. Then, adjust the other chair settings to suit your body.

• If the chair has a hard, upright backrest, slide your hips toward the edge of the chair and avoid reclining backward. Sit with your back and shoulders straight, as if you are resting against the chair's back. Over time, this will become a more comfortable position for your back, neck, and shoulders.
• If you're sitting on a sofa or long chair, it's important to keep your feet flat on the floor and your back straight. You should recline your shoulders slightly backward and sit near the edge of the couch.

Pull your shoulders back and maintain a straight back. Regardless of where you sit or how you position yourself, it is essential to pull your shoulders back to prevent slouching or arching your back. Over time, this posture can strain the muscles in your neck and shoulders, leading to chronic pain and headaches.

• Do not recline the chair too far back or slump forward, as this may cause sciatica and shoulder strain. Incorrect posture can lead to imbalance.
• If possible, gently rock while sitting for long periods. This will help keep your body flexible and maintain balance.

Adjust the chair height to fit your body. The seat should be high enough for your feet to rest flat on the floor, and your knees should be level with or slightly lower than your hips. If the seat is too low, it may cause neck pain, while a seat that is too high will lead to shoulder discomfort over time.

• If you need to raise the chair for work, your legs might not feel comfortable. Try placing your feet on a stool, cushion, or another object to relieve the pressure.

Adjust the chair backrest to an angle of 100°-110°. An ideal chair should not have a vertical backrest but should tilt slightly backward past a 90-degree angle. This tilt creates a more comfortable seating position and provides better support for your back than a chair with a straight backrest.

Ensure both your upper and lower back are supported by the chair. A good office chair should have a design that supports your lower back, with a slight curve at the bottom to support the spine on both sides, helping you maintain an upright posture and comfort. If your chair doesn’t have this feature, you can adjust it yourself.

• If needed, use a small cushion or lumbar support pad positioned at your lower back, between the chair and your spine. This will significantly enhance your comfort.
• If the chair has a backrest angle adjustment mechanism, adjust it regularly by slightly tilting forward and backward while working to avoid staying in one position for too long.

Adjust the armrests. Ideally, armrests should be set in a way that allows your shoulders to relax and your wrists to remain level with the keyboard when typing. Refer to the next section for detailed instructions on sitting in front of a computer.

• If you find the armrests obstructive, you can remove them. Armrests are not always necessary.

Use an active sitting chair if possible. Studies indicate that prolonged sitting is associated with serious health issues such as back and shoulder pain, as well as an increased risk of heart disease. For this reason, active sitting methods are becoming more popular, and they could be a great option for you.

• Active sitting equipment includes standing desks, treadmill desks, kneeling chairs, and other ergonomic devices that require the body to stay in motion rather than remaining stationary.
• Even ergonomically designed passive chairs tend to force the spine into a vertical position.

Position the keyboard correctly. Adjust the height of your keyboard so that your shoulders remain relaxed, with your elbows slightly away from your body and your wrists and hands in alignment.

• Use a keyboard tray or stand to adjust the tilt to your preference. If you sit upright or lean forward, raise the keyboard, but if you lean back slightly, elevate the keyboard's feet instead.
• Ergonomic keyboards are designed with a curve in the center to create a more comfortable position for your wrists, allowing you to type with your palms facing upward instead of downward. Consider purchasing an ergonomic keyboard if you often experience wrist pain.

Adjust the monitor and place documents properly. You need to keep your neck in a neutral, relaxed position so you don’t have to tilt your head back and forth to see what you're doing. Position the monitor directly in front of your eyes, higher than the keyboard.

• The top edge of the monitor should be 5-7.5 cm below eye level.
• If you wear bifocal glasses, lower the monitor to a level where you can comfortably read it.

Consider using an ergonomic mouse. An ergonomic mouse allows your wrist to remain in a position parallel to your body, which is the wrist's natural resting position, instead of parallel to the floor where it can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

• The touchpad on most laptops and traditional mice place the wrist in an unnatural position, much like keyboards. Over time, this can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic pain.

Take regular breaks. You should rest and take a walk around the office every 30-60 minutes of sitting. Even just a few minutes of relaxation, like using the restroom or grabbing a drink, can break the monotony and relieve pain. It might seem silly, but you can close your door and do these small exercises to help improve blood circulation:

• Stretch your arms 5-10 times
• Lift your calves 20 times
• Do 5-10 lunges
• Stand and touch your toes 20 times

Keep as active as possible at work. If you work in an office, make sure to stand up and walk around periodically to avoid muscle pain or long-term damage to your arms, neck, shoulders, and back. Check out these articles for tips on staying active at work:

• How to exercise while sitting at your desk
• How to do abdominal exercises while sitting

• Whenever possible, elevate your feet. Use a footrest, a box, or anything else you can find to prop your feet up.
• When you first adjust your sitting position, you may feel discomfort, but your posture will improve over time.
• If you start experiencing pain in your lower back or neck, you may be dealing with an underlying issue. See a doctor.
• Always sit in a position that feels comfortable, even if it seems unusual.