The occupational hazards of sitting in an office or behind the wheel of a vehicle may not be as obvious as the dangers of manual labor jobs. However, if your seating alignment isn't ergonomically sound, you could suffer injuries over time. You may have developed bad sitting habits that need correction. Doing so will be easier if you set up your office space or vehicle using an ergonomically sound strategy.
Posture Awareness
Proper posture while seated should not be rigid and uncomfortable. The Spine Universe website recommends that you keep your back against the back of your chair and your knees at the same level as your hips. If you're restless or fidgety, keeping your feet flat on the floor may be difficult, but it's an important habit to develop. If you cross your legs or sit on your feet, you may damage nerves in your legs over time. These positions also lead to slouching.
Office Chairs
Your chair needs to be the right size for your body, allowing you to keep your feet on the floor -- or on a footrest -- with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle. The surface of your desk or workstation should be at the same level as your elbows. Ideally, choose a chair with lumbar support -- a pad that presses against your lower back and keeps it in the proper position.
Car and Truck Seats
The Cleveland Clinic website recommends that, when driving, you should sit close to the steering wheel to encourage straighter posture. For safety purposes, however, you should keep 10 inches of space between yourself and the steering wheel to prevent serious injury if your airbag deploys, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website.
If you drive long distances, lower back support is particularly important. If your driver seat is not equipped with lumbar support, place a rolled up towel or a small pillow between your lower back and the back of the seat. Make sure the seat allows you to keep your knees in line with your hips as they bend to reach for the pedal and brake.
PCs and Laptops
When working at a computer, position the keyboard and mouse so that you can keep your arms bent comfortably at the elbows at a loose 90-degree angle. Raise the monitor so that the top is at your eye level, or slightly below it.
Laptops can force users into improper seating alignment. If the built-in keyboard is at elbow level, you have to slouch to view the monitor; if the monitor is at proper eye level, you have to contort to reach the keyboard. If you spend a lot of time on a laptop, equip it with an external keyboard and mouse so that you can create the same levels suggested for a personal computer.
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