Excessive sitting combined with poor ergonomics causes what’s caused postural stress. This means that spending prolonged periods of time with poor posture can cause overstretching of the ligaments, muscles, and tendons that support and protect our spine.
If you take your finger and bend it backward until you feel a light strain, and hold it for a period of time, it will eventually start to hurt. This is due to the stretching of the surrounding soft tissue around the joint.
We have created a 5 point checklist to ensure your workstation is set up properly.
- Top of monitor eye level
- Prevents looking down and tension off the neck
- Elbows bend 90 degrees
- Prevents rounding of the shoulders
- Wrists neutral position
- Prevents overuse injury like carpal tunnel
- Hips/knees 90 degrees
- Keeps tension off the lower back
- Feet resting flat on the floor
- Avoid crossing the legs
Alternatives
- Standing desks
- Help alleviate the time sitting but if you spend all day standing it will lead to other injuries. Alternate sit and stand every hour.
- Spend some time half kneeling
- While answering phone or checking emails
- Take breaks
- Every 30 minutes get up and move around
