How to sit at a computer

Sitting at a computer sounds easy, right? All you need to do is simply sit on a chair with a computer in front of you. Well, wrong. There’s actually a lot you should take into consideration if you want to sit at a computer correctly and if you care about your posture.

There are so many workplace injuries that occur due to poor posture from sitting incorrectly on a chair, and they can easily be avoided.

Below is a checklist that you can carry out at your workstation, to make sure you’re comfortable, safe and productive.

Step 1: Your Chair

• Push your hips as far back as they can go in the chair.
• Adjust the seat height so your feet are flat on the floor. Make sure your knees are equal to, or slightly lower than your hips.
• Make sure your lower and upper back are supported, use a spinal lumbar roll if needed.
• Invest in an ergonomic chair.

Step 2: Your keyboard

• Pull up close to your
• Position the keyboard centrally in front of your body.
• Make sure your shoulders are relaxed, and the elbows are in a slightly open position and your wrist and hands are straight.

Step 3: Computer Screen

• Make sure your computer screen is positioned directly in front of you and at eye level. Positioning the screen at eye level means you’re putting less strain on your neck as you’re not looking down or up.
• Don’t sit too close to your screen, this could encourage you to lean forward and hunch your back, which will have a negative effect of your posture.

If you do work in an office, and you sit for prolonged periods at a desk working on a computer, and you don’t feel comfortable with your workspace set up, then it could be worthwhile getting a DSE Assessment.

A DSE Workstation Assessment will identify any issues with current setups as well as any specific products that may assist on a proactive basis with regards to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs).

For further information about how Vergo can help contact us here.