Office Chair Advice
By: Michael A. Cohen, DAc, DC
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.
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
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
By: Michael A. Cohen, DAc, DC
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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- 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.
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.
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.
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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.
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