How to Sit

The latest studies from the World Health Organization and the Archives of Internal Medicine show that workers in jobs that involve sitting for long periods of time (about 6 hours a day) have a higher risk of sudden death from illness. people rarely sit 40%. While you can’t avoid sitting in an office environment, learning how to sit properly can help you maintain your health and safety.

Table of Contents

Sit in the right posture

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Push your hips as close to the back of the chair as possible. With an office chair, the best way to sit is to push your hips as deep as possible so that the curved back of the chair supports your back and shoulders, then adjust the other parts of the chair accordingly. ^{[1] X Research Source}

If the chair has a hard and upright back, slide your butt near the edge of the chair and avoid leaning back. Sit with your back and shoulders straight as if you were leaning against the back of a chair. Over time, this position becomes more comfortable for the back, neck, and shoulders.
If you’re sitting on the couch or couch, it’s important to keep your feet flat on the floor and your back straight. You should lean your shoulders back and sit close to the edge of the couch.

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Lean your shoulders back and keep your back straight. No matter where or how you sit, it’s important to lean your shoulders back to avoid slouching or arching your back. Over time, this sitting position will strain the neck and shoulder muscles, leading to chronic pain and headaches.

Do not lean back in the chair or sit hunched forward, or you may experience sciatica and shoulder strain. This wrong sitting posture will throw you off balance.
If possible, you should sway slightly when sitting for long periods of time. The swaying will help the body be flexible and keep a state of balance.

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Adjust the seat height to suit your body. The seat top should be high enough so that the feet are flat on the floor and the knees are hip-width apart or slightly lower. If you adjust the chair too low, it can cause neck pain, whereas if the chair is too high, the shoulders will get tired after a while. ^{[2] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

If you need to adjust the chair higher to work, then your legs will no longer feel comfortable. Try putting your feet on a stool, mattress, or other object.

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Adjustable seat back tilt 100°-110°. An ideal chair should not have an upright back but should lean slightly backward through a 90 degree angle. This angle will be more comfortable and can support your back much better than a chair with an upright back. ^{[3] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source}

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Make sure your upper and lower back are both resting on the chair. A good office chair should have a lumbar support design, slightly convex at the bottom to support the spine on both sides, helping you to keep your body upright and comfortable. If your chair is not this type, you can adjust it yourself.

If necessary, you should use an air mattress or small pillow placed on your hips, between the back of the chair and your spine. This will make you feel much more comfortable.
If the chair has a mechanism to adjust the angle of the back, change it often by slightly adjusting it forward and backward while working so that your back does not have to stay in one place.

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Adjust the armrest. Ideally, the palm rest should be adjusted so that the shoulders can relax and the wrists are level with the keyboard, if you need to type. See the next section for specific instructions on how to sit in front of a computer.

Alternatively, you can remove the armrest if it gets in the way. Armrests are not really needed.

Sit properly at the office or in front of the computer

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Use active seats if you have a choice. Research shows that sitting for long periods of time is associated with serious health problems, including back and shoulder pain, as well as an increased risk of heart disease. ^{[4] X Research Sources} For this reason, active sitting is more popular than ever, and it could be a good choice for you.

Active sitting devices include standing desks, treadmill desks, kneeling chairs, and other ergonomic devices that force the body to move rather than rest.
Passive seats, despite their ergonomic design, tend to force the spine into an upright position.

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Set the keyboard properly. Adjust the keyboard height so that your shoulders are relaxed, your elbows are slightly apart from your body, and your wrists and hands are in line.

Use the keyboard tray or keyboard stand to adjust the tilt accordingly. If you’re sitting upright or leaning forward, raise the top of the keyboard, but if you’re leaning slightly back, raise the keyboard’s feet.
The ergonomically designed keyboard will be centered to create a comfortable wrist position, allowing you to type with your thumb up instead of palm down. Consider buying an ergonomic keyboard if you suffer from wrist pain.

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Adjust the display and place the document properly. You need to keep your neck in a neutral and relaxed position so you don’t have to tilt your head back and forth to see where you’re going. Adjust the screen to be centered between your eyes and higher than the keyboard.

The top edge of the screen should be 5-7.5 cm below eye level.
If you wear bifocals, lower the screen to a comfortable readable height. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Consider using an ergonomic mouse. Ergonomic mice allow the wrist to maintain a position that is parallel to the body, which is the wrist’s natural resting state, rather than parallel to the floor and can cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

The touchpads on most traditional laptops and mice cause the wrists to lie in an unnatural position, similar to a keyboard. Over time, this will cause carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic pain.

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Take breaks periodically. You should take a break and walk around the office every 30-60 minutes of sitting. Just taking a few minutes to rest to go to the bathroom or get a drink can break the monotony and relieve pain. This may sound silly, but close the door and do these little exercises to improve blood circulation:

Stretch your shoulders 5-10 times
Calf lift 20 reps
Take 5-10 reps
Stand and touch your toes 20 times

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Maintain maximum mobility in the workplace. If you work in an office, get up and walk around periodically to avoid muscle pain or permanent damage to your arms, neck, shoulders and back. Check out these articles for tips on staying active at work:

How to exercise while sitting in front of the computer
How to exercise abs while sitting

Advice

Whenever possible, elevate your legs. Use a stool, cardboard box, or other object to support your feet.
It may be uncomfortable when you first adjust to your sitting position, but your posture will improve over time.
If your lower back and neck start to hurt, you may have another underlying problem. Let’s go to the doctor.
Always sit in a position that feels comfortable, no matter how unusual it may seem.

Steps

Sit in the right posture

Sit properly at the office or in front of the computer

Advice

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