How to maintain good sitting posture

Pains in the neck, back, knees and thighs are common in people who work more than 6 hours a day sitting, for 5 days a week. This is because sitting in the work chair for many hours reduces the natural curvature of the spine, creating pain in the lower back, neck and shoulders, and also decreases blood circulation in the legs and feet.

Thus, to avoid these pains it is recommended not to sit for more than 4 hours straight, but it is also important to sit in the correct position, where there is a better distribution of body weight on the chair and table. For this, it is recommended to follow these 6 great tips:

Do not cross your legs, leaving them slightly apart, with your feet flat on the floor, or with one foot on the other ankle, but it is important that the height of the chair is the same distance between your knee and the floor. butt bone and slightly tilt the hips forward, which will make the lumbar curve more pronounced. The lordosis should exist even when seated and, when viewed from the side, the spine should form a soft S, when viewed from the side; Position the shoulders slightly back, to avoid the formation of the 'hump'; The arms should be supported on top of the arms of the chair or on the work table; Avoid as much as possible to lower your head to read or write on a computer, if necessary, go up the computer screen by placing a book underneath. The ideal position is that the top of the monitor should be at eye level, so there is no need to tilt your head up or down; the computer screen should be 50 to 60 cm away, usually ideal it is by stretching the arm to be able to touch the screen, keeping the arm straight.

Posture is the ideal alignment between bones and muscles, but it is also influenced by the person's own emotions and experiences. When maintaining good sitting posture, there is an even distribution of pressures on the intervertebral discs and the ligaments and muscles work harmoniously, avoiding a wear on all the structures that support the spine.

However, good sitting posture and the use of chairs and tables suitable for work are not enough to reduce the overload on bones, muscles and joints, and it is also necessary to do strengthening and stretching exercises regularly so that the spine can have more stability.

Pilates training to improve posture

Watch the following video for the best exercises to strengthen your back muscles, improving posture:

These exercises should be performed daily, or at least 3 times a week in order to have the expected effect. But another possibility is to opt for RPG exercises that are static exercises, performed under the supervision of the physiotherapist, for about 1 hour, and frequency of 1 or 2 times a week. Find out more about this global postural reeducation.

What helps maintain good sitting posture

In addition to striving to maintain the correct posture, the use of the ideal chair and the positioning of the computer screen also facilitate this work.

Ideal chair for work or study

Always using an ergonomic chair is an excellent solution to avoid back pain caused by poor sitting posture. So, when you buy a chair to have at the office, it must have the following characteristics:

The height should be adjustable; The back should allow tilting back when necessary; The arms of the chair should be short; The chair should be 5 feet, preferably with wheels to move better.

In addition, the height of the work table is also important and the ideal is that when sitting on the chair, the arms of the chair can rest against the bottom of the table.

Ideal computer position

In addition, it is important to pay attention to the distance from the eyes to the computer and the height of the table:

The computer screen must be at least one arm's length away, as this distance allows the arms to be correctly positioned and assist in the best posture - do the test: stretch your arm and check that only your fingertips touch the screen Your computer must be positioned in front of you, at eye level, without having to lower or raise your head, that is, your chin should be parallel to the floor. Thus, the table needs to be high enough for the computer screen to be in the correct position or, if it is not possible, to place the computer on books, for example, so that it is at the appropriate height.

Adopting this posture and staying in it whenever you are in front of the computer is essential. Thus, back pain and poor posture are avoided, in addition to the localized fat that can develop through a sedentary life and is favored by poor blood circulation and weakness of the abdominal muscles.