Let us be real, Americans have posture problems. Just look around you! Whether sitting at your desk all day, slouching on the couch after a long day of work, or looking down at a smartphone, poor posture is affecting people of all ages. We often count the number of people we see staring down at cellphones while walking the beach, eating at a restaurant, or even while driving! We know, sad – it is a facedown world! But this does not have to be you!
Poor posture not only affects us physically, but also affects our mental wellbeing! Studies show slouchers are more likely to exhibit less confidence, lower self-esteem, and suffer from depression. Slouching and facedown posture may also lead to brain fog and a lack of clarity due to the disruption of blood flow to your brain. We document this in our Caring Medical office with ultrasound measurements of blood flow in and out of the brain while putting patients in different positions.
Four ways to create healthier ergonomic workstations:
Adjust your computer monitor height: Because desk jobs require so much time in a sitting position staring at a screen, where you place your monitor in relation to your eyes and neck has a significant impact on your health. When positioning your monitor, you want to make sure that there is at least 12 inches of distance between your eyes and your screen, and the top line of your screen is above your eye level. You need to be looking slightly UP. This is not the usual ergonomic recommendation made by traditional medicine, but from what we have seen in our office, we know that most people need to look up to counter the looking down! Keep your shoulders down too – do not scrunch!
Look for Keyboard Comfort: Your keyboard position is another essential aspect of alleviating strain on your neck due to your arm’s position throughout your workday. You want to resist the temptation of hunching over and putting pressure on your arms and shoulders which eventually results in neck pain. These problems can be avoided by arranging your keyboard and/or mouse in positions that keep your wrists extended while your upper arms are relaxed. Some people appreciate using wrist pads to help keep the wrists upright as if you were in proper piano form.
Healthy Sitting: Many people are now working from home, however that does not mean you cannot create a healthy workstation setting. Let us be honest, is your workstation on a coffee table or on the couch? We know it sounds silly, but you are spending 8 hours every day in a sitting position, thus you should make sure you are sitting correctly. Wherever you are sitting, your position should support your arms, legs, back, and buttocks to avoid putting any unnecessary stress on your body resulting in neck or back pain. Your feet should touch the floor, abdominals should be tucked, and shoulders back. Some like to use a McKenzie roll on the back of their chairs to help keep in the proper sitting position.
Sit-Stand Solution: You have heard us say before, “sitting is the new smoking!” Studies show that prolonged sitting day in and day out is very unhealthy. It leads to pain, weakness, poor posture, weak abdominal muscles, and the list goes on. We recommend you take regular breaks to walk or stretch your body. At Caring Medical, most of us utilize height-adjustable standing desks giving us the option to sit or stand throughout the day. We cannot emphasize the importance of this enough! If you are no longer working, but find yourself sitting at home, we recommend setting a timer to remind yourself to get up and walk around every hour. Work on doing squats over a chair to ensure you have the quad strength to push yourself up out of a chair without using your hands on the arms of your chair. This will improve longevity overall. Do not discount the importance of this!
We encourage you to take this content seriously! If we keep doing the same thing and expect different results, that is the definition of insanity. Healthy posture, movement, and head position is key to maintaining good health. Unfortunately, what we see in the office are the effects of the reverse – and it is not just pain, but some profoundly serious ortho-neurologic problems. You can do it! Change is good!