To prevent back pain in everyday life, people are often advised to "sit properly" - but that's easier said than done. For "healthy sitting" you need not only a straight posture, but also good equipment. In addition to simple movement exercises, a high-quality office chair, an ergonomically placed keyboard and the correct screen height are very helpful.
Content
Sit properly and keep moving
If you remain rigidly in one position for hours, you will eventually feel petrified - the best antidote to this cramping is to keep changing your position. Shift your weight sometimes forward, sometimes backward, slide around and fidget with your legs: in this way you train your muscles and counteract tension.
Also make sure that you do not adopt a "turtle posture" - i.e. sit in front of the screen with your head lowered and your neck stretched out. If you have to hunch over at your desk, consciously lean back and let your neck and shoulders rotate.
In short: Keep moving, even when sitting!
Sitting correctly - adjusting chair, table, screen and keyboard
To help you achieve the "right posture", the correct adjustment of the office chair, monitor, table and keyboard is essential.
The seat height of your desk chair should be adjustable. Adjust it so that your upper and lower legs form a right angle and the soles of both feet are firmly on the floor. Your back should also be in contact with the backrest. In this way you distribute the weight on all the intervertebral discs and stabilize the back muscles. The backrest should also exert a little counterpressure on your back so that you straighten up but are not pushed forward. The armrests should also be adjustable and support not only the elbow, but the entire forearm - this further relieves the back.
The height of the desk is also important - in line with the armrests of the chair, the upper and lower arms should form a right angle when lying down.
The keyboard should be at least ten centimeters from the edge of the desk so that the hands can be placed comfortably. This can prevent the development of tendonitis.
You should orient the screen so that when you are relaxed and looking straight ahead, you are looking at the top edge of the monitor. You should look at the center of the screen at an angle of 20-30 degrees. The distance from your eyes to the monitor should be between 50 and 70 centimeters, depending on its size.
Your back will thank you if you stretch briefly every now and then, for example if you stand up to make a phone call or take a five-minute exercise session.