Do you suffer from back pain?
Are you sitting all day?
Do you spend an hour a day looking down at your mobile phone?
Would you like to improve your posture?
Then this post is for you!
In my previous post I explained what upper and lower crossed syndrome are and how to deal with it with stretches and exercises.
However prevention is always best, so what can we do if we've got a desk-job and would like to do all we can to prevent a stiff neck, tight shoulders, right hamstrings, etc. ?
First of all we want to make sure the monitor is set to the correct height: top of the monitor should be at eye-height, arms should be bent 90 degrees, knees should be bent 90 degrees. But I'm sure you all know this already.
You might not know of these options though.
A standing desk is an option:
(notice how working on a laptop without a laptop-stand is complete wrong for your posture)
Standing puts the legs and back in a totally different position, which partially takes care of the lower crossed syndrome, hamstrings will lengthen, lower-back will have to continuously work and thus become stronger, shoulders are in a more relaxed position and less hunched forward.
Standing all day long takes a while to get used to though, so you might want to get an electric adjustable height desk. That way you can sit an hour, stand an hour, sit an hour, stand an hour, etc.
However these desks aren't cheap...
If you're used to standing it's easy to build a desk yourself with more height, but those usually aren't adjustable.
Another option are ergonomic chairs, such as kneeling chairs:
Because they require an active posture is much 'harder' to slouch and this puts the spine in a much better position.
I've got one of these and use it every day (although I still switch between this and a normal chair).
This also takes some getting used to. When I first started using it I could only sit on it for an hour before my lower-back started telling me it was tired (my lower-back has been my weak spot for a long time) and I had to go back to my normal chair.
I just kept alternating and now I can sit on it for hours without issues :-)
Earlier this week I found another option for people who don't want or can't afford a standing desk and who have a normal chair and don't want or can't change.
It's an electronic device which you attach to your back and it detects when you slouch.
When it detects you're slouching it will start to vibrate to remind you to correct your posture. Supposedly wearing this product 15 minutes a day will have trained you in a matter of weeks to maintain perfect posture all the time.
Good thing you don't have to wear it all day, I'd probably get annoyed from all the vibrating quite soon ;-)
The product sounds pretty good to me...
Here's a promotional video of the 'upright pro posture trainer':
I've not used it myself, but it does seem like an affordable and neat way to correct one's posture.
It's for sale on indiegogo for $129 usd
Remember that a good posture reliefs back pain and thus increases well-being and also leads to better productivity. It should earn itself back in a matter of week... lol
Or it won't, but it's a good excuse when arguing to the boss at work to buy one ;-)
Let me know in a comment if you'd rather have a standing desk, a kneeling chair or the posture training device??
