Office workers and casual Internet surfers alike share an ongoing need for correct posture at the computer. When you are seated for long periods of time, proper sitting posture can be difficult to maintain. Your muscles tire and your head tips forward, pulling your spine out of alignment. You might sprawl backward or off to the side of your chair in an attempt to ease shoulder or lower-back pain. Practicing good posture while typing at the computer acts as both prevention and solution for chronic fatigue and pain.
Identification
Correct posture for typing requires stability for the spine and freedom for the arms and hands. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recommends adjusting your chair or your computer monitor so that the screen is at or below eye level. Your feet should be positioned on the floor or a footrest, and your legs shouldn't be crossed. Your elbows and knees should bend at 90-degree angles, and your wrists should be straight, not angled, as you type.
Features
This sitting posture will properly align your spine for comfort and stability. The lumbar curve of your lower back should rest just above where the chair back rest meets the seat. The back rest should cradle the thoracic curve of your middle back, providing support for upright shoulders, neck and head. You'll feel less fatigue in this correct posture than if you're slumped over your desk, exaggerating spinal curves and placing stress on muscles and vertebrae.
Considerations
Many desks, chairs and computer screens aren't designed to fit every physical type of user. You may need several different support aids to maintain a good, comfortable sitting posture. These include a monitor riser, typing stand, angled footrest, lumbar cushion and an adjustable ergonomic chair, computer desk and keyboard. Furniture that fits, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, helps prevent back pain and repetitive stress injuries.
Significance
The TeensHealth website reports that, aside from sports injuries, most repetitive stress cases in teenagers result from poor sitting posture at the computer. The ACA notes that 80 percent of Americans, including a large proportion of workers who use computers daily, experience back pain from incorrect posture. The wrist, shoulders and neck, as well as the digestive and cardiopulmonary organs, can all be adversely affected by unhealthy body positions at the computer.
Prevention
Holding any position, even a good one, creates muscle tension. You can prevent neck, joint and back pain by getting out of your seat regularly. The TeensHealth site suggests using a timer to remind yourself to get up, walk around and stretch every 30 minutes. The ACA advises keeping your computer mouse close enough that you don't have to move your elbow away from your body to use it.
