Office Ergonomics: The Complete Guide to Proper Posture

When you were a child and your teacher or parent asked you to sit up straight, you probably didn’t realize that having good posture would help prevent musculoskeletal disorders later in life. As we grow older and spend less time running around outdoors and more time sitting at our desk jobs glued to a computer screen, we run the risk of seriously injuring ourselves. The body was not designed for the repetitive motion of clicking a mouse or extended periods of sitting to which we subject ourselves.

Ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment. By following the this guide on office ergonomics, not only will you work more efficiently and productively, but you will help protect yourself from debilitating injuries like carpal tunnel, tendinitis, and lower back pain.

Research has shown that some of the biggest causes of problems later in life come from sitting too much during the day. These prolonged sedentary activities can only hurt you in the long run. Your metabolism slows down almost ninety percent after just thirty minutes of sitting and extended sitting has been linked to things like heart failure later in life. So, aside from following this ergonomics guide, be sure to get up and stretch and move around during the day at regular intervals. Get outside, enjoy the sunshine!