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Office Chair Advice

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By: Michael A. Cohen, DAc, DC

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Fig 1: Correct office chair posture
(larger view)

For most people, it is quite a challenge to maintain good posture while sitting in anoffice chair and working for long hours in front of a computer. In fact, a surprising number of people sit at the front of their office chair andhunch forward in an attempt to get closer to their computer screen. The computer is a very potent ‘consciousness absorbing’ device – it takes the mind away from the body and keeps it focused on what’s on the screen instead.

This article reviews a simple, practical way to counteract this tendency to hunch forward and instead improve posture by keeping the body anchored to the back of the office chair.

Upright Posture

Both the abdominal muscles in the front of the spine and the back muscles in the back of the spine work to hold the body erect, like two elastic bands positioned on either side of the spine. Forward leaning posture – hunching forward while sitting in an office chair - distorts this balancing system and places considerable strain on the back.

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To illustrate the amount of strain on the back, think of the example of balancing a stationary motorcycle upright so that it doesn’t tip over. If the motorcycle is properly balanced it can be held upright easily with one hand. Similarly, when one sits upright in an office chair, the abdominal and back muscles work in unison to maintain an erect posture with only minimal effort.

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However, if the motorcycle leans over a bit there is a significant difference in the amount of effort it takes to keep the bike from falling over to the ground. The more the motorcycle leans, the more effort is needed to keep it from falling over. Similarly, when people hunch forward while sitting on an office chair their back muscles have to work much harder to hold the body up and keep it from falling forward.

Simply put, leaning forward 30 degrees in an attempt to get closer to the computer screen puts 3 to 4 times more strain on the back, causing advanced wear and tear on the joint surfaces, the ligaments of the spine, and the discs located between the vertebrae¹. The back muscles are also negatively affected as the continuous added strain causes them to tighten up, reducing optimal blood and nutrient flow to the back muscles. Over time this posture leads to the development of tight, rigid muscles and joints, which makes them more prone to injury.

One of the biggest misconceptions with sitting is that it doesn’t require any muscular effort. This is absolutely false. The back muscles are continuously working to maintain the body in an upright posture while sitting. And for those who sit in an office chair and work for long periods of time at a computer in a hunched forward posture, the structures in the back suffer considerable strain.

In This Article:

• Office Chair Advice
• Office Chair Set Up
• Simple Office Chair Stretch

Technique to Avoid Hunching While Sitting in an Office Chair

To avoid the natural tendency to hunch forward while sitting in an office chair and working at a computer, this simple technique is fool-proof. Place a tennis ball between the middle back and the office chair on each side of the spine (See Figure 1). Holding the tennis ball (or similar ball) in place while sitting and working at a computer accomplishes three things:

• Because the mind senses the ball, it remains connected with the body instead of being completely absorbed by what is on the computer screen. Maintaining more awareness of the body allows one to more easily maintain better posture.
• By leaning back into the tennis ball an acupressure effect is created, which stimulates blood flow into the area and physically releases contracted muscle and connective tissue. The pressure of the ball also creates a central nervous system mediated analgesic effect that is somewhat similar to acupuncture, loosening tight areas while sitting in the office chair and getting work done².
• Importantly, if one does get absorbed into work and starts to lean forward the tennis ball will fall out, serving as a concrete reminder to stop hunching forward and straining the back.

Please note that the above technique and the advice provided on the following pages are effective, cost next to nothing, have no adverse side effects and are quite easy to do.

Office Chair Set Up

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By: Michael A. Cohen, DAc, DC

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Fig 2: Ergonomic office chair and keyboard setup
(larger view)

Many office workers spend thousands of hours sitting in an office chair at their desk, so there is a great deal of opportunity for their sitting posture to either continuously help the back or hurt it.

The following four points are important to help support the back, neck and shoulders when setting up an office chair and computer (See Figure 2 for an illustration):

• Office chair back support. The back of the office chair provides important postural support, so it should be adjusted to fit the individual user. When necessary, an extra low back support should be added so that the back rests comfortably against the office chair when working on the computer. Having the right back support in the office chair supports the natural curve of the low back so that the back muscles do not have to work so hard to maintain correct posture. Without proper back support, over time the muscles fatigue and the natural tendency is to slouch forward, straining the structures in the low back.
• Keyboard in easy reach. The computer keyboard should be positioned close enough to the body so that it is not necessary to lean forward to reach it. Both elbows should be at the sides of the body when sitting in the office chair and typing on the computer, notreaching out in front of the body.

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More Office Chair Info

Ergonomic Chairs

Office Chair Back Support

Office Chairs and Back Pain

Ergonomics Video

• Computer screen at eye level.The top of the computer screen should be placed so that it is at eye level. If the screen is too low it will be necessary to bend forward to look at it. Since this cannot be done with a laptop (because the screen and keyboard are connected), the laptop should be boosted up (e.g. placed on a few books) so that the laptop screen is at eye level, with an external keyboard plugged in and placed within easy reach. Extra keyboards are inexpensive and can be put at the proper height so that the elbows are bent to 90 degrees while working. Conversely, some may prefer to use their laptop keyboard, and if this is the case the same objective can be accomplished by leaving the laptop keyboard on the desk and plugging the laptop into a separate computer screen that is placed at eye level.
• Arm support. The arm supports on an office chair should allow the elbows to rest comfortably at 90 degrees along the sides of the body while working at the computer. Arm supports that are non-existent, too low, or too wide for an individual user make the shoulders hunch forward, eventually dragging the neck and spine forward with it.

The continuous forward leaning posture many people adopt while sitting in an office chair has serious consequences for more than just the back and spinal column. It also places a burden on the internal organ systems, digestive system, and lungs when the front of the body is compressed by hunching forward for long periods of time².

• See Office Chair: How to Reduce Back Pain?

Stretch breaks are absolutely essential to open up the front of the body and create renewed tissue circulation and joint mobility. The Reverse Arch Stretch was specifically developed to quickly counteract negative spinal, shoulder, wrist, finger and organ system effects from forward hunching computer posture². The stretch only takes a few seconds to do and has an immediate benefit anyone can feel.

As with any stretch, when doing the reverse arch stretch it is important to take your time and listen to your body while doing it. If you feel any pain or discomfort, stop doing the stretch. Always listen to the signals your body sends you. Practice makes perfect, so even if the stretch feels a bit awkward at first it will soon become easier to do and a welcome part of the work day routine.

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Reverse Arch Stretch

• Move to the front of the chair and if possible interlace your fingers behind the back and feel the palms touching each other. There will be a stretch feeling in the front of the chest and shoulders when doing this. (If bringing the palms together is too difficult, an easier alternative is to clasp the hands together using just the fingers and not the palms). See Figure 3.
• Once the proper hand position has been established, take a deep breath in and let the shoulders move even further backwards, letting the head fall back as well (this opens up the front of the neck).
• Now exhale all the air, feeling the front of your body open up as you extend backwards. See Figure 4.
• Hold this position for a few deep breaths if it feels comfortable to do so.
• To get out of the stretch SLOWLY bring your head back up to ensure that you do not strain your neck.

More Office Chair Info

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Only stretch back as much as you're comfortable with. Over time you'll feel that you are able to get deeper into this stretch, extending back even further with minimal effort.

Doing the Reverse Arch Stretch while standing provides additional opening benefit to the buttock and pelvis as well. Ideally it is best to practice the stretch both while seated in an office chair and while standing.

The ‘opening’ feeling you’ll experience in your body afterwards is the direct result of increased blood flow, reduced organ system tension, enhanced spinal motion and relaxed muscle tone that the Reverse Arch Stretch creates.

As with the other techniques discussed in this article, this simple office chair stretch is effective, easy to do, and easily empowers you to take better care of yourself.

In addition to this stretch, it is best to stand and walk around every half hour. A brisk walk helps get the circulation going, bringing oxygen and nourishment throughout the structures of the body.

Trapezius

La Biennale

Art

Towards the 55th International Art Exhibition

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Curator: Massimiliano Gioni

10 | 25 | 2012

1st June to 24th November 2012

The President of la Biennale di Venezia, Paolo Baratta, accompanied by the Director of the 55th International Art Exhibition, Massimiliano Gioni, met on October, 25th 2012 the representatives of theparticipating Countries. The Countries participating for the first time are 8: Bahamas, Kingdom of Bahrain, Republic of Kosovo, Kuwait, Maldives, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria, Paraguay. The vice-President of the promoting committee for the Holy See’s pavilion at the Biennale Arte 2013 was also present on the occasion.

 

The 55th International Art Exhibition will take place in Venice from June, 1st to November, 24th 2013 at the Giardini and at the Arsenale (preview: May 29th, 30th and 31st  2013), as well as in various venues the city.

 

“The Biennale will again use the "dual" form defined in 1998: a great International Exhibition directed by a curator chosen for this purpose and the National Participations.” In this way Paolo Baratta has introduced the 55th International Art Exhibition, remembering that “the individual national pavilions are a very important feature of the Venice Biennale. It is an old formula and yet one that is more vital than ever. It is precious in times of globalization, because it gives us the primary fabric of reference on which the always new, always varied, autonomous geographies of the artists can be observed and better highlighted. It may be asked to what extent these pavilions also bring with them desires for representation of the country that organises them - although the autonomy left to the curators is broad. Each one has its own history and style. It may certainly be said that in them the countries reveal the role attributed to contemporary art as messenger of their present and their cultural wealth. But the pavilions also provide revelations on more profound realities and riches than those of the usual official and stereotyped images or pretexts.”

 

The title chosen by Massimiliano Gioni for the 55th International Art Exhibition is: Il Palazzo Enciclopedico / The Encyclopedic Palace.

 

 

Massimiliano Gioni introduced the choice of theme evoking the artist self-taught Italian-American Marino Auriti that“on November 16, 1955 filed a design with the US Patent office depicting his Palazzo Enciclopedico (The Encyclopedic Palace), an imaginary museum that was meant to house all worldly knowledge, bringing together the greatest discoveries of the human race, from the wheel to the satellite. Auriti’s plan was never carried out, of course, but the dream of universal, all-embracing knowledge crops up throughout history, as one that eccentrics like Auriti share with many other artists, writers, scientists, and prophets who have tried - often in vain - to fashion an image of the world that will capture its infinite variety and richness. These personal cosmologies, with their delusions of omniscience, shed light on the constant challenge of reconciling the self with the universe, the subjective with the collective, the specific with the general, the individual with the culture of her time.”

 

“Today, as we grapple with a flood of information, such attempts to structure knowledge into all-inclusive systems seem even more necessary and even more desperate – explained Gioni. The 55th International Exhibition of Art will explore these flights of the imagination in a show that—like Auriti’sEncyclopedic Palace—will combine works of contemporary art with historical artefacts and found objects.”

 

The exhibition will place at its heart “a reflection on the ways in which images have been used to organize knowledge and shape our experience of the world.” Inspired by what scholar Hans Belting has called “an anthropology of images”, the Biennale Arte 2013 curated by Massimiliano Gioni will attempt “an inquiry in the realms of the imaginary and the functions of imagination.

What room is left for internal images - for dreams, hallucinations and visions - in an era besieged by external ones? And what is the point of creating an image of the world when the world itself has become increasingly like an image? How far does the domain of the imaginary extend, when people are still fighting in the name of images?”

 

“Like the theatres of memory devised in the 16th century by Venetian philosopher Giulio Camillo - mental cathedrals invented to order knowledge through pictures and magical associations - the exhibition “Encyclopedic Palace” will compile - concluded Gioni - a cartography of our image-world, composing a bestiary of the imagination.”

 

The 55th International Art Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia will present, as usual, the National Participations with their own exhibitions in the historic Pavilions of the Giardini, and in the centre of Venice.

 

This edition will also include selected Collateral Events, proposedby international bodies and institutions, who will present their exhibitions and initiatives in Venice concurrently with the 55th Exhibition.

 

 

Biographical notes

Massimiliano Gioni (Busto Arsizio, 1973) is a curator and contemporary art critic.

He is currently Artistic Director of the Nicola Trussardi Foundation in Milan as well as Associate Director and Director of Exhibitions at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York.

In 2010 he was the youngest and first European director of the 8th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea. In 2003 he was the curator of the section entitled “La Zona” within the 50th International Art Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia; In 2004 he co-curated the 5th edition of the travelling biennale Manifesta and in 2006 he organized the 4th Berlin Biennale in collaboration with artist Maurizio Cattelan and curator Ali Subotnic. With Cattelan and Subotnick he founded the magazine Charley and the non-profit space The Wrong Gallery, initially opened in 2002 in New York and later hosted by Tate Modern in London in 2005.

Gioni has curated numerous group exhibitions – among them “Ghosts in the Machine”, “Ostalgia”, and “After Nature” at the New Museum – and solo shows by, among others, Pawel Althamer, Tacita Dean, Urs Fischer, Fischli and Weiss, Paul McCarthy, Pipilotti Rist, Anri Sala, Tino Sehgal, and Paola Pivi.

Editor of Flash Art magazine from 2000 to 2003, Gioni has also regularly contributed to many contemporary art magazines including Artforum, Art Press, Frieze, and Parkett and has published his writings in catalogues and volumes edited by Charta, Mondadori, Phaidon, Les Presses du Reel, and Rizzoli.

Posture Problems

5 Most Common Posture Problems (and how to fix them)

 by Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT | November 28, 2011 | Updated: May 9, 2013 | 12 comments

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Last week I attended a full day workshop on “Posture and Movement Analysis” in NYC.¹ About 25 fitness professionals showed up, all of whom exercise regularly. After we conducted a posture assessment for each other, we were shocked to learn that EVERYONE had moderate to severe posture problems.

It is very possible that you too have a moderate to severe postural problem that can affect your health and performance. I must admit I have a small to moderate degree of every postural deviation listed in this article!

While this article does not cover how to conduct a comprehensive posture assessment, I chose the 5 most common posture problems I see that are caused by a sedentary lifestyle. For each posture problem, I list the (1) identification, (2) cause, (3) problem, and (4) solution.

Keep in mind the solutions listed are only “possible” solutions because some of the causes and problems may not be correctable (i.e. congenital issues, or trauma). Finally, be aware that any posture problem can lead to other problems as the human body is one “kinetic chain”.

Posture Problem #1: Over-Pronated Feet

Identification – As shown in the photo above, put both hands 1 inch away from each side of your foot. Straighten your ankle so that the space between each hand and your ankle is equidistant. Now naturally let your ankle and feet rest. If your foot and ankle caved inward, you have over-pronated feet.

Causes – Obesity, pregnancy, improper footwear, or repetitive pounding on a hard surface can weaken the arch leading to over-pronation and oftentimes flat feet.

Problem – Over-pronation adds stress to the foot, tightens calf muscles, and can internally rotate the knees. Over-pronation often leads to Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Spurs, Metatarsalgia, Post-tib Tendonitis and/or Bunions. As many as 20-30% of Americans have flat feet, or over-pronated feet.

Solution – If the arch has already fallen, orthotics are the best bet. If the arch is in the process of falling, or is weak, barefoot running/walking may help strengthen the arches, but be sure to check with your doctor (orthotics may be the best bet in this case as well). For more on barefoot running, check outBarefoot Running Research: Benefits of Barefoot Running.

Posture Problem #2: Forward Hip Tilt

Identification – Identifying a forward tilt can be tricky, but one method is to purposely tilt your pelvis forward as far as you can, then backward as far as you can. You may realize your natural hip tilt is not far away from the exaggerated forward tilt.

Cause – Sitting too much and not stretching, which shortens the hip flexors

Problem – Forward hip tilt (aka anterior pelvic tilt) is associated with tight hip flexors, which are a group of muscles on the front of your hips that pull the knee upward. As you walk, tight hip flexors prevent the glutes (butt muscles) from firing/activating, which forces the hamstring muscles to become overworked and excessively tight. If you have tight hamstrings, the root cause may be tight hip flexors and an anterior pelvic tilt.

Solution – Stretch your hip flexors with static lunges, such as the Crescent Lunge (See: Yoga For Back Pain), activate your glutes with exercises like glute bridges, and foam roll and stretch your hamstrings.

Posture Problem #3: Hunchback

Identification – Have someone take a photo of you standing sideways. If you notice that your upper back is excessively curved (greater than 40-45 degrees) as in the photo to the right, you have hunchback posture.

Cause – Sitting with bad posture, especially at an office doing computer work

Problem – Sitting hunched over a computer screen forces chest muscles to tighten, which can cause excessive curvature (kyphosis) of the upper back (thoracic spine). Postural muscles in the upper back weaken and loosen.

Solution – Relieve chest tightness with self myofascial release (use a massage ball) and stretching, while strengthening the upper back postural muscles. My favorite exercise for hunchback posture is upper back foam rolling. For more information, check outCorrecting Rounded Shoulders From Office Work.

Posture Problem #4: Rounded Shoulders

Identification – The “Pencil Test” involves holding a pencil (or pen) in each hand. As shown in the photo above, if the pencils are pointing straight forward with your arms comfortably at your sides, that indicates correct posture. If on the other hand the pencils are facing each other, or are rotated at an angle, then you have internally rotated shoulders.

Cause – Sitting with bad posture, especially in an office while typing, or using an imbalanced exercise routine with excessive chest pressing.

Problem – Sitting hunched over a computer screen forces chest muscles to tighten, which can internally rotate the shoulders forward. Postural muscles in the upper back weaken and loosen.

Solution – The solution is very similar to correcting hunchback posture – relieve chest tightness with self myofascial release (use a massage ball) and stretching, while strengthening the upper back postural muscles. For more information, check out Correcting Rounded Shoulders From Office Work.

Posture Problem #5: Forward Head

Identification – Have someone take a photo of you standing sideways. As shown in the photo to your right, find the AC joint (bony protrusion on the side of your shoulder) and check if your ear lobe is on top of the AC joint. If your ear lobe extends in front of your AC joint, you have a forward head posture.

Cause – Sitting in an office chair hunched over while staring at a computer

Problem – Muscles in the back of the neck become tight, along with the upper trapezius and levator scapulae (upper back muscles).

Solution – First, practice proper head posture by sliding your head backward while keeping your line of sight ahead. Be sure not to tilt your head upwards as you slide your head back. Second, get a massage, or use a massage ball against your upper back, which can be very helpful to help relieve tension around your neck.

While these 5 common posture problems are just scratching the surface of posture as a very important fitness topic, I hope it helps you think more consciously of your posture and is useful for you.