In NYC, we are either doing a lot of sitting during the week, or sitting during that weekend getaway! Time to improve your sitting ergonomics with these three easy fixes.
Here are Dr. Schuman’s Recommendations for Sitting Ergonomics
- ID problem posture: Use the opposite motion.
- Hips above 90 degrees: Sit on a stress wedge.
- Micro-breaks: Keep it movin’!
Identify the Problem Posture
Take a picture of yourself in your current ergonomics. Drop a line from your ears to your shoulders then continue through the spine to your hips and compare it to the ideal ergonomics. Identify where your postural stressors are: is there forward head carriage or rounded shoulders?
Does the lumbar spine flex too much or are you actually rotated while you are sitting?
Identify your specific ergonomic faults and target those areas with specific cues and fixes into the opposite range of motion.
Use a Stress Wedge
Maintaining correct trunk posture with a neutral spine and sitting on your sit bones improves head, neck, and back alignment which results in less fatigue while sitting. Keeping the hips and knees at 90° or more and the feet flat or on a footrest allows the low back to be in a neutral position.
Three inches of a foam wedge can turn a previously poor ergonomic chair or car seat into a proper ergonomic solution.
Move Around!
“The only perfect chair—is one your frequently get out of!”
The human body requires regular motion and activity to maintain normal circulation to keep muscles relaxed. The result of prolonged static postural positions is predictable patterns of fatigue in the muscles, leading to repetitive strain, and eventually joint, nerve, or disc injury.
These occupational overuse syndromes are associated with: neck tension, headache, carpal tunnel syndrome, shoulder blade pain, or Sciatica. The concept of a mini-break performed every 15-20 minutes recharges our muscles and takes the strain off our joints and discs, even if it is for just 10-30 seconds. When sitting for long periods of time is unavoidable keep a “neutral” spine, take mini-breaks,
Don’t let sitting be a pain in the neck or back—let CSC+M help you find the permanent solution to resolve your symptoms, and fix your ergonomics.
