How to Improve Posture at Desk

Improving posture at your desk is important for maintaining physical health, especially if you sit at a desk eight to 10 hours a day. Ignoring good posture at work could cause you to develop a "surgeon's hump," which leads to pain, fatigue and other illnesses associated with the spine, according to PowerPosture.com. Your abdominal muscles and back muscles work to keep the body erect, serving to balance each other's pull. Hunching forward while sitting in a chair alters this balance and takes a toll on your posture. Learning how to sit in a desk chair is essential for keeping good posture.

Instructions

Instructions

• 1

  Get a quality office chair. Such a chair may be expensive, but it's worth it. A quality, back-friendly chair will save you thousands of dollars in chiropractor and doctor bills later on. A quality chair should be adjustable and firm, but not rock-solid.

• 2

  Set up your chair effectively. Make sure that the back of the chair offers low support and a firm surface against which to lean. Your keyboard should be easy to reach, just past the arms of the chair. Make sure that your computer screen is at eye level, so that you don't have to strain to see it. And, finally, keep your arms bent at a 90-degree angle on the chair's arm rests.

• 3

  Put a tennis ball between the office chair and the middle of your back. Lean back on the ball and keep the ball from falling down. This will keep you from leaning too far back in your chair.

• 4

  Repeat Step 3 for a week, then remove the ball. It will feel strange without the ball there, but you will notice yourself keeping your back straight against the chair. Keeping your back against the chair will help you avoid slumping. This will improve your posture.