How to sit correctly in a computer chair. We work at the computer - how to sit correctly? What are the worst positions?

13.11.201927.05.2017

Sit, lie, and stand are taught in childhood. Lifestyle changes, diseases become acquired. Most people move less and spend the day sitting at their desk or computer. It has an adverse effect on the spine, leads to osteochondrosis, and causes pain in the back and neck. It is important to learn the correct body positions.

Learning to sit correctly

Pay attention to the furniture. We often spend time in soft, cozy armchairs. This is pleasant, but harmful to the spine. In soft chairs and sofas, the pressure is transferred to the lower back, which means you won’t be able to relax. Choose hard furniture with ischial tuberosities to support your back.

Choose computer chairs in which you have to sit for a long time at the call of duty that meet the requirements of the standards:

Height. Adjustable, calculated individually based on the length of the legs.
Depth. Should be equal to 2/3 of the length of the hips - at this depth you should sit in a chair.
Back. Adjustable, will allow you to relax and take a working position.

When sitting, it is important that your feet fully touch the floor and rest. If this is not possible, a footrest will need to be constructed to maintain the required foot position. Your back should lie completely against the back of the chair. Try to keep your neck, back straight, and head straight, without tilting. It is important to have free space under the table so that your legs form a right angle at the knees, not a sharp one. Try to get up more often and stretch your legs.

Coming home, we sit on the sofa. Important:

Change positions more often;
Get up periodically, walk around the room, stretch your legs;
Try not to sit for a long time watching TV, take breaks every 1.5-2 hours;
Lean on your back to relax and take a deep breath.

Safe sitting rules for motorists:

Use hard orthopedic seats;
Try not to strain your back while driving;
Place a thin cushion under your lower back where your back bends;
Keep your shoulders and head straight, try not to turn around;
Stretch regularly when getting out of your car.

Correct posture for sleeping and resting

Furniture for sleeping and relaxing should not be soft. Choose a hard mattress with an orthopedic effect on the spine. In Japan, for the first time, they thought about what to sleep on correctly. The floors were covered with mats and people slept on them! A similar surface is created:

Order a bed-sized shield;
Place the shield on top of the frame;
Cover with foam rubber of medium thickness (7 cm);
Lay a wool blanket on top and cover with bed linen.

Rules for sleep and rest:

It is better to sleep on your back with your limbs extended;
Place a low cushion under your feet;
When sleeping on your stomach, place a thin pillow under it;
When you go to sleep on your side, bend your knees and place your hand under your head.

How to stand correctly

It seems like a simple action. Looking at people in the subway, shopping centers, bus stops public transport, it is clear that not everyone can do this! While standing, the spine experiences a global load and suffers lumbar region. The correct way to stand is: shoulders, head straight, neck extended, chest straight, legs straight.

Do the following at home:

Stretch your arms forward, pull up;
Sit down for a while when washing dishes, ironing clothes;
Periodically place your feet on a stand - a stepper, a low chair;
When cleaning your home, bend less at the waist. It is worth squatting, kneeling, raising the work surface (ironing board), lengthening the height of the handle (mop, vacuum cleaner).

Often women wash the floor on their knees and squatting. It is important for your back to stand up correctly. Lean your hand on a chair, doorframe, wall, and rise up. Important for those who suffer from osteochondrosis. If you warm up, you can’t sit down (on the street)?

Change poses every 15 minutes. Do this by moving the emphasis from one leg to the other.
Walk around, creating motor movements - it will distribute the load from the back to different areas and muscles.
Take deep breaths periodically, opening your chest.
Sit down on the bench.
It’s worth stretching your back by spinning around an axis and stretching your arms.

The article was written for general educational development. To establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment, ALWAYS consult a doctor

Recent studies by the World Health Organization show that workers who sit for long periods of time - 8-11 hours a day - have a 40% increased risk of dying at any time from a variety of illnesses and diseases than people who sit less. Although you cannot avoid sitting in the office, if you learn how to sit correctly, no matter where you sit, you will be healthy and safe.

Steps

Part 1

Correct posture

Your hips should be as deep in the chair as possible. The best way sitting on office chairs - so that the curved back supports your back and shoulders, and your hips are as close to the back as possible. Adjust the rest of the chair to match the support it offers.

If you are sitting in a chair with a hard, straight back, move your buttocks closer to the edge of the chair and avoid resting on the backrest. Sit with your back and shoulders straight as if they were supported by the back of a chair. Over time, this will become a more comfortable position for your neck, back and shoulders.
If you are sitting in an easy chair or on a sofa, you need to keep your back straight and your feet pressed firmly to the floor. Your shoulders should be back and you should be as close to the edge of the sofa as possible.

Pull your shoulders back and keep your back straight. Wherever you sit and however you sit, you need to move your shoulders back to avoid slouching or arching your back when you sit. Over time, this can strain the neck and shoulders, leading to chronic headaches and muscle pain.
- Don't tilt your chair back or lean forward when sitting, as this can cause strain. sciatic nerve and shoulder muscles. They serve to maintain balance.
- If possible, it's a good idea to rock a little if you're going to be sitting for a long period of time. This helps keep the body active and balanced.
Adjust the seat height to suit your body. The seat of the chair should be high enough so that your feet are firmly pressed to the floor and your knees are at the same level as your hips or slightly lower. If you sit too low in your chair, you may end up straining your neck, and if you sit too high, your shoulders may become tired over time.

Adjust the backrest of the chair so that the angle is 100°-110°. Ideally, the passive backrest of a reclining chair should not be perfectly straight, but tilted back slightly so that the angle is slightly greater than 90°. This is much more comfortable for your back and gives it more support than a perfectly straight backrest.

The upper and lower back must be supported. Good office chairs should support your lower back and extend slightly into your lower back to support your spine on both sides, keeping you in a comfortable and upright position. If your chair does not offer such support, you must do the work yourself.
- If necessary, use a small inflatable or regular sofa cushion, positioning it slightly above your hips between the back of the chair and your spine. It should be much more comfortable.
- If your chair has an active backrest mechanism, use it to change positions frequently. Adjust the backrest slightly and rock back and forth when sitting and working so that your back is not constantly in the same position.
Adjust the armrests. Ideally, the armrests should be adjusted so that your shoulders are relaxed and your wrists are level with the keyboard when you're typing. Read the next part for more specific tips about sitting in front of a computer.
- You can remove the armrests completely if they bother you. Armrests are optional for support.
Part 2
Correct sitting in the office or at the computer
1. Sit in a chair with an active backrest, if possible. More and more research shows that sitting for long periods of time in an office environment leads to serious health problems, including strained back and shoulder muscles, and also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. For this reason, active sitting techniques are now more popular than ever and may become good option and for you.
  - Active sitting devices include a standing desk, a treadmill desk, a kneeling chair, and many other ergonomic alternatives that force the body to remain upright rather than provide an opportunity for rest.
  - Passive sitting chairs, even ergonomic ones, can force your spine into an uncomfortable upright position.
2. Position the keyboard correctly. Adjust the height of the keyboard so that your shoulders are relaxed, your elbows are slightly open, slightly away from your body, and your wrists and arms are straight.
  - Use the keyboard tray or keyboard foot mechanism to adjust the tilt so that the keyboard position is comfortable for you. If you're leaning slightly forward or in a vertical position, try tilting the keyboard away from you, but if you're leaning slightly backward, tilting the keyboard toward you will help keep your wrist straight.
  - Ergonomic keyboards have a curve in the middle for a more natural wrist position, allowing you to type with your thumbs pointing toward the ceiling rather than with your palms parallel to the floor. Consider purchasing a keyboard like this if you suffer from wrist pain.
3. Set up your monitor and source documents properly. Ideally, your neck should be in a neutral, relaxed position so that you don't have to crane your neck to see what you're working on. Place the monitor directly in front of you, above the keyboard.
4. Consider using an ergonomic mouse. An ergonomic mouse allows your wrist to remain parallel to your body, in a natural resting state, rather than parallel to the floor, which can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome over time.
  - The trackpad on most laptops and a traditional mouse do the same thing as a traditional keyboard - they force your wrists into an unnatural position. Over time, this can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic pain.
5. Take regular breaks. Every 30-60 minutes you need to take short breaks, get up and walk around the office. Even a short break to go to the bathroom or get yourself a drink from the cooler can help break the monotony and relieve pain. Although you may feel stupid, close the door to your office and try the following: short exercises to restore proper blood circulation:
  - If your neck or lower back starts to hurt, you are doing these steps incorrectly.
  - Always sit in a way that makes you comfortable, even if it looks like you're fidgeting strangely in your chair.

The 21st century is the century information technology, which means that every year the percentage of people who use a computer increases significantly.

Unfortunately, many of us only believe that we are sitting correctly - we do not know the rules of work and the exercises necessary to relax the eyes and body during breaks.

How to sit at the computer correctly?

I understand that you want to sit as your soul requires.

Spread your legs to the sides, bend into the “three dooms”, fall apart like a king or princess, put a cup of coffee on the left, and a couple of sandwiches on the right and that’s it, life is good.

In reality, everything is different - such a pose at the computer will “kill” your posture in a couple of years.

It only seems to you that you are in a comfortable position. Sit like this for an hour or two and you will want to change your position.

If you need to work for 8-10 hours at a computer and not have fun, you will have to initially take the correct position so that your back and neck don’t hurt later.

People like to spend a lot of time at the computer: at work on a voluntary basis, and then at home, with great enthusiasm.

Operating rules: take care of your posture - “sit” in the correct position!

Head. Must be level with the screen. The distance to the screen should be equal to an outstretched arm.
Neck. Leaned back and relaxed. There is no need to keep your neck tense and stretch it forward, this is where the first pain begins.
Back. It should be parallel to the back of the chair, ideally pressed, but not tense. Sit upright, relax, do not lean your back forward.
Shoulders. Lowered down and straightened. You can’t pinch your shoulders, don’t pull them towards your ears.
Elbows. Must be relaxed and in the correct position.
Legs. Must be bent at a 90 degree angle. There is no need to cross your legs, you won’t sit like that for long.
Feet. Under no circumstances should they “hang out”. They are always on the floor, on a solid support. For short people, you can use a footrest.

Chair. Installed in such a way that the knees are in the correct position.
Screen. Located at eye level or slightly lower.
Keyboard. The best position is achieved if the keyboard is turned away from you, so that the wrists are in the correct position and directly below the elbow.
Remote keys must be accessible with a single movement of the hand, including movement of the wrist and fingers.
Breaks. Working at a computer causes occasional fatigue in the upper body and eyes.

Exercises

We have 5-10 minutes of rest for every hour of work.

How will you spend it? That's right, go lie down, smoke or eat.

But I’ll tell you a better option: a set of exercises when working at a computer to relax the whole body and eyes.

Get up, drink a glass of water, stretch your neck, back, arms. You can walk around, go out into the fresh air, if possible, breathe. More movement.
You can stretch your back in a circular motion pelvis, neck - with smooth rotations of the head, arms and shoulders - with swings to the sides.
When you sit down at your desk again, try changing the position of your chair. Lower it a little lower or higher, move it back or, on the contrary, bring it closer.

Full set of exercises:

Eye exercise:

To avoid damaging your eyesight, you need to do eye exercises. To relieve tension, move your eyes up and down, left and right.
Next, look for 30 seconds at a nearby object, then another 30 at an object that is far away. Repeat 3 times.
Squeeze your eyes tightly for 15 seconds, then open your eyes. Repeat 3-5 times.
Just close your eyes and dream about something pleasant for a minute or two. It not only perfectly relieves eye strain, but also emotionally relaxes.
If you wear glasses, take them off when resting. Give your eyes a rest.
If you wear contact lenses, it is inconvenient to take them off every 5-10 minutes, I know from experience.
But regular moisturizing eye drops, which you can buy at the pharmacy, can help. I use it all the time and have no problems. They are inexpensive.

Computers have become a very important part of the lives of many people. Some people have to look at the monitor for most of the day, while others cannot imagine themselves without games, social networks and other modern multimedia entertainment.

Today, the question of how to sit at the computer correctly is very important. We all know that maintaining visual acuity, the condition of the spine and general well-being directly depend on this. Let's find out how to spend time on a PC without harming your own body.

First you need to purchase a high-quality computer chair and a special table, otherwise problems with the spine cannot be avoided. A chair or armchair must be adjusted in height. A proper landing requires the following position: the shins should be strictly perpendicular, and the thighs should be parallel. The back of the chair is adjusted so that there are no gaps or free space between it and the back of the person sitting on the chair.

It is important that your feet reach the floor surface. If a chair is purchased for a child, you can use a specially designed footrest. Remember to sit straight without crossing your legs. The fact is that when a person sits with his legs crossed, local blood circulation is disrupted due to compression of the arteries and veins. If you do this constantly, you can easily get edema and varicose veins.

Rule #2

Those who spend several hours every day in front of a computer screen must take breaks every 40–50 minutes, distracting themselves from monotonous work with other activities.

You can do a short set of exercises to stretch and warm up stiff arms and legs, take a walk around the office, or go outside to get some fresh air.

Rule #3

Before starting work, it is important to correctly position the chair or armchair in relation to the table. The chest of a sitting person should not fall on the surface of the tabletop. You should sit up straight and not slouch. Place your hands directly on the table at almost right angles.

This position greatly simplifies the performance of a number of activities. For example, typing on a keyboard or working with accounting will not be very tiring.

Rule No. 4

If you choose or install the monitor incorrectly, you can get a lot of vision problems. So, the screen should be located opposite the eyes, and the distance should be at least 50–70 cm.

Thanks to the additionally installed anti-reflective coating on the screen, glare from lamps and sunlight can be avoided. It is not recommended to work at a computer in a room with insufficient lighting.

Effective exercises for the prevention of eye and spine diseases

If you create a small five-minute complex and use it at least two or three times throughout the day, you will successfully prevent the development and occurrence of a variety of diseases related to the health of the spine and eyes.

Similar exercises can be performed by both adults and children:

Slowly rotate your neck from side to side.
Rotational movements of the shoulder girdle.
Stretch with clasped hands.
Rotate your eyes clockwise (15–20 seconds), then counterclockwise.
Frequent and rapid blinking for 30–50 seconds.
Light massage of the area around the eyes (tapping with fingers).

One of the most effective exercises To warm up your eyes after working for a long time at a PC, you can focus your gaze for a minute on an object located nearby (for example, the tip of a pencil), which is followed by focusing as much as possible on an object located at a considerable distance.

Regular gymnastics will be an excellent prevention against many ailments, and will also allow you to get positive results in osteochondrosis and visual impairment.

So, how to sit on a chair in front of a computer correctly so as not to harm your own health? To do this, it is enough to adhere to the recommendations presented above, not forgetting to regularly devote time to walks. fresh air, moderate physical activity and playing any sport. The child will have to present such information in the most accessible and adapted form, without in any case punishing him for safety violations.

13.05.2007

In the modern world, every day a huge number of people spend several hours at the computer. Whether you're playing or working, it's important to watch your posture and avoid awkward positions. This will not only help improve your performance, but can also prevent illnesses associated with computer work.

While sitting at the computer, arrange the surrounding objects in such a way that you can sit comfortably, without tension. Organizing your workspace in the way that is optimal for you depends on the individual size of each person.

To support your back, use a chair with a backrest and adjust the work surface of the table and the height of the chair so that your body is in a natural posture.

For correct position feet, remove unnecessary objects from under the computer desk (so that your feet can find a comfortable position) and, if necessary, use a footrest.

To avoid having to stretch too much and to keep your shoulders and arms in the correct position, try the following:

To ensure proper wrist and finger placement, try the following:

Keep your wrists straight while typing or using the mouse. Don't bend your wrists or point them out to the sides. If your keyboard has feet, use them to help position your wrists more correctly and comfortably while working at the keyboard.
When typing, your hands and wrists should hang over the keyboard, so that the whole hand works, and not individual fingers trying to reach distant keys.

To prevent a stiff neck, do the following:

The top of the monitor should be at approximately eye level. If you work with bifocals, it is better to position the monitor a little lower or consult a specialist.
The monitor should be centered in front of you. If you often need to access documents on your desk, consider moving your monitor slightly to the side.
Buy a document holder so that your documents are at eye level.

To avoid eye fatigue, follow these rules:

The monitor should be at arm's length from you.
Avoid glare on the monitor, remove light sources from the monitor if possible, and use blinds if necessary.
Don't forget to wipe the screen. If you wear glasses, clean them too.
Adjust the brightness and contrast of your monitor.

While working, our body is constantly exposed to physical strength. You might think that only “impact” forces, such as a car collision, can cause harm to the body. However, even minor forces can cause illness, discomfort and fatigue if they are applied over a long period of time.

Here are some of these types of forces:

Dynamic force. Force that is generated through movement, such as pressing keys while typing on a keyboard or using a mouse
Static force. A force that must be applied over a period of time, such as holding down a mouse button or holding a telephone receiver.
Contact force. The force that occurs when standing on a solid surface or at its edge. For example, when your wrists are on the edge of the table.

To reduce the impact of these forces on your body, do the following:

Take breaks

Taking breaks will help you recover from any strenuous activity and avoid occupational illnesses. The frequency and duration of breaks depends on the type of work performed. The easiest way to take a break is to stop typing. However, there are others, for example, changing the type of work and switching to, say, a telephone conversation while standing after typing on the keyboard. In this case, some muscles will relax, others will be activated.

To vary your activities while maintaining productivity, try the following:

Plan your work and play so that you don't do the same thing for a long time.
Use different input means to perform the same task (keyboard and mouse). For example, to scroll a page, you can use the mouse scroll wheel and the arrow keys on your keyboard.
Make the most of your software and hardware to minimize your effort and increase your productivity. Use hotkeys.
Learn more about the software's capabilities by reading the related product information.

Based on materials from microsoft.com