How to Work From Home and Improve Your Posture

Is the new normal putting a strain on more than just your social life?

While there are benefits to working from home, for many, the switch has taken a physical toll.

Whether it’s a dull ache that lurks between the shoulders or an unfamiliar twitch in the left lower back, the sedentary nature of remote work is affecting or posture.

So, with that in mind, here are some practical tips on how to improve your posture while working from home. 

What is “proper” posture?

Proper posture while seated means your feet are flat on the ground, directly underneath your knees. Your legs form right angles with your butt on the chair and your knees coming out directly straight from your hips. You want to avoid having your legs dangling from a chair that's too tall or sitting in a cramped style.

Moving up the body, focus on the spine being in proper alignment. Often the spine rounds forward as you're typing on your computer or working on something in front of you. Fix this by bringing the abs in toward the spine, lifting the chest and rolling back the shoulders. You want your shoulders to be stacked over your ribs, and your ribs to be stacked over your hips.

Common Posture Issues and How You Can Fix Them

Problem: Chair is too high.

Solution: Put books, boxes or an ottoman underneath your feet so that your legs make a 90-degree angle make sure your knees stack over your ankles and your knees come straight out from your hips.

Problem: Lying in bed.

Solution: Prop yourself up with pillows behind you, pillows underneath your arms and pillows underneath your legs. It’s important to have your knees bent and your arms propped up so your elbows are at the same height as the sides of your body.

Exercises to Combat Poor Posture while Working

These exercises can be performed throughout the workday to fix improper posture.

Problem: Hunched shoulders, tension headaches, neck pain.

Solution: Perform a "shoulder square." With your head facing forward, move your shoulders forward, up, back and then down. Repeat these five times forward and five times reversed.

Try a simple doorway stretch: Place your arm against a doorjamb in the high-five position (that is, forming an L), your elbow bent 90 degrees. Step through the doorway until you feel the stretch in your chest and the front of your shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds. That’s 1 set; do a total of 4 daily.

Problem: Rounded upper back, middle back pain and stiffness

Solution: Stretch your shoulders and sides of your neck. Roll back your shoulders and reach your fingertips toward each other behind your back. Bring back your elbows and try to press the palms of your hands together at the middle of your back. If this is impossible, just keep the fingertips reaching toward each other. Hold for five slow, take deep breaths and release. 

Problem: Low back stiffness, tightness and achiness.

Solution: Stretch the sides of the body by pressing down firmly with your glutes onto your chair. Stretch your arms up toward the ceiling and clasp your hands. Reach over toward the right to elongate the left side of your waist. Hold for a breath, then switch to the other side. Repeat side to side five times.

Remember to take breaks from work.

Even if you have perfect working posture, standing up to take a break, stretch and move your body every 30 minutes is imperative.

You could take a walk around your house, march in place, pump your arms up or stretch. Placing an alarm or notification on your phone or work calendar is a simple way to ensure that you're carving out the time to move your body.

Standing desks are also a great way to combat the sedentary nature of working from home. You can create your own per the above suggestions or invest in a premade standing desk.

However you choose to work, focus on elongating your body rather than tensing or rounding yourself into a ball. Elongating the neck, spine, and torso, and supporting the lower body with a stable foundation (90 degrees at the hips and knees), will help you create your perfect work-from-home posture.

Want to learn more about how to improve your posture visit our blog for more exercises to boost your health, energy, and productivity. 

Stay safe, wear your mask and remember to keep your shoulders back.