Looking for comfort in sitting? The first principle of ergonomics is to keep the joints of the body as close to their natural resting positions as possible.

Firstly, it is important to keep the curves of your spine and keep your ears aligned with your shoulders. We are designed to be concave at the lower back and convex at the upper back. Slouching not only compresses the lungs and makes it harder to breathe; it can overstretch your ligaments and cause strain. Poor posture may be a habit, but it can also be caused by a poorly set up workstation.

Ergonomic checklist:

• Sit back in your chair as far as possible;
• There should be at least 50 mm (two inches) between the front edge of the seat and your knee crease;
• Feet should be resting flat on the floor or on a foot rest;
• The edge of the chair shouldn’t dig in to the thigh. If so, you may need to lower the seat;
• Your knees should be level with or slightly lower than your hips;
• The monitor should be straight in front of you and the top of the screen is at, or lower than, eye level;
• The wrist should be at, or slightly lower than, the level of the elbow;
• Keep your arms close to your body;
• Use a head set if you are on the phone frequently;
• Distance the screen to minimise eye strain, if you don’t need glasses the screen is at least one arms length from you;
• Get moving! We recommend a change in posture for 5 minutes out of every hour. Even if it is only to stand when you answer the phone or standing up for meetings!

If you are still uncomfortable and sitting continues to cause you pain, allow us to help you further by booking in for a Physiotherapy session.