Are You Sitting At Your Desk Wrong? 3 Posture-Fixing Tricks to Help You Avoid Back Pain
If you have a desk job that keeps you in your chair (where you’re likely slouching, because don’t we all?) and staring at a computer for the majority of the day, you’ll feel this viewer’s pain (LITERALLY).
"I always have a lot of back pain," one viewer named Jane tells us, "[but] all I do really is sit at a desk all day."
Ironically enough, THAT’S the issue.
"When we torque our back," parenting and youth development expert Dr. Deborah Gilboa explains of sitting improperly, "[it] can cause headaches, muscle aches, even cause leg pain."
The doc's solution? Have someone take a photo of you while you’re sitting at your desk (from the front, side and back angles) so you can spot your problem areas.
RELATED: A Doctor Answers: Can Dairy Products Cause Joint Pain?
For instance, when Dr. Deborah looked at the below photo of Jane, she found 3 main (fixable!) issues.
Problem: You’re Sitting On One Foot
Solution: Keep Both Feet On the Ground
Sitting on your foot the way Jane does may feel comfortable in the moment, but doing so can cause long-term pain!
"[It] twists your spine," Dr. Deborah explains.
Yikes. We don’t know about you, but we’re changing our ways ASAP!
Problem: You’re Looking Down
Solution: Drop Your Chair
"Part of the reason [why] you’re slouching is because you have to look down," the doctor says. "So drop your chair so you can be as eye level as possible with your computer."
Easy enough!
RELATED: The One Ab Exercise You Can Do Anytime -- Anywhere
Problem: You’re Twisting Your Body
Solution: Place Your Computer Right in Front of You
If you're anything like Jane, your computer is situated on an angle on your desk, so you have to twist to look at it. Well, that’s bad news, according to the doc!
Instead, place your computer right in front of you so your body can be square.
"That will help [your posture] naturally," the doctor assures.
Related Articles