Office Epidemics: 5 Bad Posture Habits Exposed

Poor posture will surely result in back pain and discomfort in the workplace. That being said, it's absolutely essential to form good sitting habits. Make the most of your work day by avoiding falling prey to this common office epidemic. Today on the blog, well expose 5 common posture problems experienced by the everyday worker and simple ways to resolve them with minimal effort. Enjoy!

1.) Perching

Do you ever find yourself sitting with your feet propped up on the base of your office chair? That's perching! This poor posture habit restricts blood flow and limits functionality. Your best bet is to operate with your feet facing forward and flat on the ground. The natural sitting position may not be the coolest, but it's certainly the most beneficial!

2.) The Lazy Boy

Your office chair may recline, but that doesn't make it a recliner! Don't extend your legs out in front of your and cross your feet like you do on those long Saturday movie session. Much like perching, this poor posture habit limits blood flow and will have you falling prey to fatigue in no time.

3.) Hunching

The back of your task chair provides lot's of ergonomic values that you don't want to miss out on by hunching over your keyboard tray to type. Each time you lean away from your office chair to work, your spine left fitting the bill. Strive to keep your back in contact with you chair at all times to achieve correct posture and optimal support.

4.) Stare Down

Still having trouble remembering where those computer keys are? It's time to break the habit of looking down to type. When you stare down at your computer keyboard tray you're falling into bad posture. Looking down puts strain on your neck and causes unnecessary fatigue that can be avoided with a little practice. Even if you've mastered the keyboard, you'll still need to make sure your computer screen is at eye level. While an ergonomic monitor arm is the preferred choice, if funds are tight, you can get by with a stack of books to ensure you're not looking down at your monitors.


5.) Extended Sits

Even workers with great posture habits can slip back into a rut. To avoid falling prey to this epidemic, take short breaks! As sitting for long periods of time can actually shorten your life span, make it a point to stand up and walk around once an hour. Get the blood flowing! Grab a sip of water. Get some fresh air. Do whatever it takes to avoid sitting at your desk for more than an hour at a time. You'll return to your desk rejuvenated and ready to operate using those quality posture habits you've worked hard to master.

Improve Office Posture With Simple Reminders!

To sit correct, you'll need to form good posture habits that will help you through those strenuous days at the office. That being said, studies have shown that placing a list of reminders within eye sight of your computer screen yields major results. Today on the OfficeAnything.com blog we'll help you come up with a list of helpful reminders to post at your workstation. Use these tips to effectively fight discomfort and fatigue in 2016 and beyond.

1.) Keep Back In Contact With Chair

It's important to let your chair do it's job! If you find yourself leaning away from the main support structure of your chair, you'll be missing out on key ergonomic benefits. To avoid leaning away, get in the habit of utilizing your chairs tilt function. Most chairs manufactured after 2005 come standard with tilt ready mechanisms to help you operate effectively in all situations. Start by synchronizing your swivel chair seat and back. Set your chair to an angle that keeps you operating at 90 degrees when computing. Maintain this position as often as possible. When you need to access areas around your station, don't over extend. Stand up from your chair and avoid slipping into poor posture positions as a result of leaning away from your chair back.

2.) Don't Hunch To Type

This office epidemic causes major back pain, strain, and fatigue! Sadly, we all fall victim to this common problem. We find ourselves enthralled in important tasks throughout the day, and suddenly we're operating in over eager computing positions that have us hunched over our keyboard trays. Make it a habit to lean into your chair when typing. Each time you hunch over, your spine is provided with little to know support. Essentially, you're subjecting yourself to strain that's completely avoidable by sitting upright to type.

3.) Set Computer Screen To Eye Level

If your computer screen is below eye level, you'll be looking down to type. When you're looking down to type, you're straining your neck and eyes. This poor posture habit can be quickly solved by raising your computer screen to eye level. While an ergonomic monitor mount is the preferred option, those looking to save a few bucks and raise their computer screen up to eye level with a stack of books. In the long run, it doesn't have to be pretty to be effective!

4.) Place Feet Flat and Facing Forward

Don't use the base of your office chair as a foot rest. This bad habit limits blood flow to your legs and will cause productivity drops throughout the day. Instead, operate in your task chair with your feet flat on the ground and facing forward. This correct operating position ensures good posture and top notch stability. Other poor positions like "the relaxer" that involve extending your legs out in front of your like you're in a beach chair should also be avoided at all costs!

5.) Take Short Breaks

Here's a reminder that won't be hard to forget. Take short breaks! When you sit for long periods of time, your body becomes tired. Extended sits result in poor posture and can even shorten your life space. That being said, it's important to take a 10 minute break once every hour. Stand up, walk away from your office desk and stretch out those muscles. Go grab a drink of water or some fresh air. You'll return to your desk more focused and less strained. This simple practice will have you fighting key posture related problems that result from fatigue and muscle pain caused by rushing through the work day without standing up! To make a long story short, to achieve a better sit, you've got to stand up once in awhile!

Are You Sitting Superior?

Not all office chairs are created equal. This year, industry leading brands like Global Total Office and Mayline are raising the industry bar. The "smart chairs" from these brands make it easier than ever to sit superior in the workplace. In today's post, we'll highlight the ergonomic posture tips, tricks, and chairs available on the market to help you take your work life to a whole new level. Enjoy!

Office comfort starts with the chair! That being said, even the best office chair on the market is only as good as it's owner. If you want to sit superior, you can't be afraid to adjust your chair features. Take the time to master your chair's attributes. Watch demo videos online, read the instruction manual, and test out the functionality of every feature. Be willing to adapt at a moments notice without fear of "loosing a good sitting position".

To sit superior, you can't take a "set it and forget it" approach. Most seating professionals will adjust their personal chairs every hour. When sitting at your desk, make sure you keep your back in contact with the chair at all times. Each time you lean away, you're missing out on valuable support. Be sure to operate with your feet placed flat on the ground and facing forward. The day of using the base of your chair as a foot rest have got to stop. There's simply no ergonomic benefit to doing this.

2016 is going to be all about "smart chairs". To clarify, smart chairs will reduce the need for adjustment. You'll be able to take a seat and start working in your computer chair without the need to constantly pull levers and adjust tension knobs. This booming trend is rapidly becoming an industry standard.

This year, Global Total Office is hitting the ground running. The recent release of chair lines like G20, Vion, and Arti have industry professionals abuzz. The G20 chair is a synchronized tilter that automatically adjusts to body weight. The Vion collection is all about versatility. This popular new line offers chairs for tasking, conference, and training area applications that make finding the optimal working position a breeze. Global's new Arti chair articulates like the human spine and allows the chair to mimic any users profile.

Brands like Mayline are also jumping on board with the smart chair movement. Their new Living Task Chair is incredibly user friendly. The Living chair moves as you move. The passive seat slider is weight activated while the flexible back provides constant support that adjusts to you as you sit and move naturally. The chair seat automatically adjusts to it's user and distributes weight without the need for adjustment. Now that's cool!

In the long run, sitting superior in 2016 will take more than just a great chair. Studies have shown that placing a simple chart with posture reminders within view of your workstation will yield big time results. To truly sit superior, you have to be willing to make changes to your personal workplace habits. Select an awesome new "smart chair", master it's features, and sit in success.