How To Stay Pain Free While Working At Your Desk.Is my ‘bad’ posture causing me pain?

Written by Phoebe Henry

Posture can be an important tool to convey body language, increase confidence, and even improve our mood, but what is the perfect posture? And can bad posture cause pain?

It may surprise you, but there is not a perfect posture! So, rather than ‘bad’ posture causing pain, it is often a prolonged posture which causes the aches and stiffness we often experience at our desks. When we sit or stand, our back, shoulder, and neck muscles need to be able to maintain the body’s position, and this prolonged posture will cause these muscles to fatigue, often leading to pesky muscular aches and stiffness. It is important to remember that the muscles can fatigue in a variety of postural positions, whether this is seated with your back straight, standing with your laptop elevated, or hunched over a laptop, your muscles will eventually get tired.

So, although the ‘perfect’ posture myth has been debunked, there are a few things that can be done to reduce the requirement of our muscles. A correct ergonomic set-up can limit the fatigue and stiffness we often experience while sitting or standing at a desk. This includes a chair and desk which allows for the following:

·       Feet flat on the floor (or supported on a footrest)

·       Elbows relaxed by sides and bent to around 90-110°

·       Eyes looking straight ahead at screen

Along with an ergonomic set-up, here are five tips to help you remain pain free while working at your desk:

1.     Take regular breaks and change your position every 30 minutes

2.     Use a sit-to-stand desk to easily change your position throughout the day

3.     Go for a walk after/before work – your physical and mental health will thank you! (Bonus points for a treadmill desk)

4.     Regular resistance training can help reduce the fatigue your muscles feel and is important for a healthy spine

5.     Our spines love movement! Show your spine some love by doing some gentle range of

motion exercises