Correct posture helps your body perform against the forces of gravity, in motion and at rest. Supportive furniture and a firm posture base, with feet on the floor or a footrest, encourages the right seated position. Sitting posture is especially important to desk workers and people who use wheelchairs. If you experience pain in the shoulders or low back after prolonged sitting, your posture and your support systems may need overhauls.
Significance
Over time, a poor seated position can cause neck and back pain, repetitive motion injuries, torn muscles and cracked vertebrae. Slumping affects your whole body, including your internal organs. In fact, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) calls correct posture essential to overall health, including that of the digestive, respiratory and vascular systems.
Balance and Alignment
A good working seated position provides stability at both the floor and seat levels. This allows you to stay balanced and move your upper body safely and freely as you perform daily tasks. A slumped sitting posture offers less stability and places stress on the muscles and vertebrae of the back and neck. When relaxing, proper spinal alignment and even weight distribution allow your muscles to rest. Leaning to one side or propping your neck at the wrong angle can be a source of back pain instead of relaxation.
Features
To avoid muscle fatigue and vertebral stress, correct posture must accommodate the three curves of your spine. The lumbar curve should be supported where the chair back meets the seat. The thoracic curve should be propped comfortably against the back rest. This position aligns your upper body so that the cervical curve at your neck naturally holds your head erect. You can achieve this posture and discourage back pain whether you are upright or reclining by not crossing your legs, to distribute your weight equally.
How to Sit at Work
At work, sitting posture should be erect, with feet on the floor or a footrest and your spine against the back of the chair. Elbows should rest against your body, and if you are typing, wrists should be straight, not angled up or down. Keep your neck flexible, moving and stretching as needed. Keep your computer screen at or below eye level and your work materials in easy reach, to avoid bending over. The Maryland Spine Center notes that this correct posture guards against carpal tunnel syndrome and low back pain.
Furniture
The Maryland Spine Center reports that good sitting posture largely depends on good furniture that fits the user and offers adequate support. The ACA advises using a desk chair that has adjustable back support or adding a lumbar cushion, if necessary. For pain-free alignment, keep your knees at an angle of 90 to 120 degrees so that your feet stabilize your body on the floor. If your feet don't reach the floor, you can adjust your chair height or use an angled footrest.
