Every person spends an insignificant part of his day sitting, it is necessary to sit in a healthy and proper manner, as healthy sitting is one of the things that many people overlook, which may cause stress on the body. Proper posture includes training the body to stand, sit, and move with minimal stress on the muscles and ligaments as much as possible, and the position (including the sitting position) includes the use of the musculoskeletal system, which contains the bones, muscles, joints and other tissues that connect the parts of the body together, and people who spend long periods sitting in offices need to take additional precautions to ensure of maintaining a healthy posture.
The Importance of Healthy Sitting:
Sitting in a healthy and proper way supports the body in several ways, including:
- Maintaining bones and joints, which allows the muscles to be used properly.
- Prevention of stress resulting from the wrong use of muscles.
- Reducing pressure on the ligaments that connect the joints to the spine; This makes the body expend less energy.
- Preventing back and muscle pain.
Complications of Improper Sitting:
- Aches and pains in the neck, shoulders, arms, back, thighs and legs.
- Poor body flexibility.
- Decreased joint movement.
- difficulty breathing.
- Constant pain.
- Numbness in the fingers or pain in the wrists.
- Eyestrain (eg: redness and dryness of the eye, pain, headache).
- Repeated stress.
How to sit healthy:
- Seat or Chair Adjustment The height of the chair is adjusted so that the keyboard is used upright and parallel to the floor, preventing repetitive strain injuries.
- Adjust the level of the device, when using a computer or screen, it must be suitable for eye level so that it does not cause a curvature in the neck level.
- Adjust the arms and elbows, so that they are straight with the seat, while resting the shoulders.
- Support the back by keeping it straight and using a back support pillow if possible.
- Adjust the knees, keeping a small distance between the back of the knees and the chair.
- Adjusting the feet, by not placing one leg on top of the other, “crossing the legs”, and keeping the feet on the ground.
- Adjusting the waist and thighs, so that the body weight is distributed evenly on the waist and is in a straight, not tilted position.
Avoid the following:
- Sit on the edge of the chair with the spine bent, and make sure to change the sitting position from time to time.
- Sitting for long periods in one position and taking a break for at least 10 minutes for every hour of sitting.
- Stretching the neck for long periods while looking at the screen or phone screen.
- Sitting in a position that does not fully support the back, especially the lower back.
General tips to maintain healthy bones, muscles, and spine:
- Maintain 30 minutes of daily physical activity, focusing on a combination of stretching and aerobic exercise.
- Do not stay in any position for a long time and change your body position or activity every hour.
- Keep any screens at eye or chest level when reading to reduce stress on the neck and upper back of the spine.
- Sit up straight and look straight ahead when reading phone or computer screens.
- Lifting heavy objects by bending the legs instead of using the back.
- Keeping heavy loads close to the body when lifting or carrying them.
- Adjust the seat when driving to support the back without strain and allow the knees to bend.
- Placing support cushions on seats, including car seats; To reduce back stress.
- Wear comfortable or supportive shoes when standing for long periods of time.
- Maintaining a straight spine when walking and avoiding leaning or slipping.