How should I sit at my desk?
If you are working on a computer
1. Your eyes should be level with the top of your computer monitor.
This is easier with desktop PCs and is difficult with a laptop as the keyboard and screen are fixed close together.
2. Your shoulders should be relaxed and low away from your ears and not hunched up.
3. Your lower arms should be parallel to the floor. They should rest on a support, rather than being held up.
4. You should not be reaching too far for your keyboard and mouse. Your shoulder should be level with your ear and no further forward.
5. Your feet should be flat on the floor. Just putting your toes on the floor is not enough.
The two pictures show you how NOT to sit at your computer and you can see that they will develop some form of neck strain
6. Your upper back should be straight. Your lower back has a natural curve that should be supported by your chair or a lumbar roll.
7. You should not slouch in your chair. Make sure your bottom is well back as far as possible in the chair.
8. Your upper legs should be at a 90° angle from your body. If you are short, this may mean that you need a footrest. If you are particularly tall, you will need a higher chair (and may also require a higher desk).
9. You should be sitting up straight and your screen should be a full arm’s length away from you.
10. You should not be leaning to one side, however tempting to rest on one arm but this causes your spine to curve.
Ten simple exercises to do at your desk
These exercises help stretch and strengthen muscles plus loosen joints that suffer as a result of long periods of sitting at a screen.
Neck side bends
Take your ear down towards your shoulder keeping your eyes straight forwards.
Pull the head down further with your hand keeping the opposite shoulder down as far as you can x 5 each side
Neck rotation
Turn your head slowly as far as you can and then help it round further with your hands x 5 each side
Neck rotation with forward flexion
Take your chin down and across towards the front of your shoulder
Chin tucks
Pull in your chin and try to make the crown of your head reach up towards the ceiling and flatten out the curve of your neck. Then poke out the chin and pull in again x 10
Shoulder shrugs and rolls
Lift your shoulders up towards your ears and then relax them down as far as you can.
Then roll the shoulders round in a circle one way and then the other way x 10 each way
Double arm lift
Interlace your fingers together and lift your arms right up above your head x10
Chest stretch
Sit holding the chair arms and force your chest forwards and feel the stretch x 5
Thoracic rotation
Put your hands across your chest and turn your body each way. If you want to go further pull yourself round holding one arm of the chair and the other hand on your opposite knee.
Side bending
stretch alternate arm down sideways towards the floor x 5 each way
Elbow circles
Hands on your shoulders -Circle the elbows round x 10 each way
It is always best to stand up from your desk every 30 mins. If you want to exercise further there are more exercises in the article linked here-
Exercises in the chair