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How do you keep good posture while sitting?

Andy Zhao (he/him) on September 24, 2019

I tend to slouch a lot when I sit for long periods at a time. There are several reasons for this, but the main reason I think is that I don't sit in a chair with a back in it.

Anyway, what are some ways that help you keep good posture while sitting?

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Michael Tharrington

I love my standing desk but before I got one, I had a few things I'd do to keep good posture.

2 tips for sitters:

  1. I had a lumbar support pillow that I put near the bottom of my chair.
  2. Never did this, but I was told to put a tennis ball at the top of my back and sit back so it rest there... if I leaned forward it would drop to show me I'm slouching.
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Liana Felt (she/her) • Edited

I think those back braces do work because it prevents you from slouching. I've used a yoga strap to do the same thing but never have tried for the entire day - seems like it could get annoying. I love sitting on my exercise ball which helps keep better posture too and is super fun.

Theres also these new devices: uprightpose.com that will vibrate when you slouch. I keep getting ads for them but haven't tried them.

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Chris C

I see those crazy ads for that thing you put on your back. Seems odd to me. I think there are some decently priced standing desks if you want that. Sometimes I just need to get up and make sure I'm walking away from my desk at work a couple of times per day, stretch, etc.

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Andy Zhao (he/him)

Hmm might do the yoga strap!

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Félix Dion-Robidoux

Lol I'm not gonna pay 80 bucks for a thing I put on my back to tell me to not slouch. I'm getting some Juicero vibes from this product.

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Ben Halpern

Posts like this remind me that I need to think about it 🙃

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Josh Ransley

I used to slouch/hunch all the time, walking, sitting, any available opportunity.

A while ago I visited a physiotherapist and they suggested to start small. Find a short interval to practice good posture, like the length of a song if you listen to music while you work. If you notice you've slipped, no worries – try again at the start of the next song.

Build that up over a few years and I get compliments on my posture.

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Valentin Baca

Sticky note on the edge of my monitor with "POSTURE!" written on it.

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Mike Rogers ✈️

I had really bad posture for years & it got to the point where I had back pain. I started fixing it by:

  1. Investing in a better chair & desk! £120 today is better then a future of pain.
  2. Weights! I got some light weights & strengthened by back! It's s lot easier to keep good posture when the muscles are strong.
  3. Regular breaks where I'd move around.
  4. Switching desk so I'd be in different positions more regularly.
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buphmin

I make sure my monitors are so high that I can only look at them properly if my posture is good. Then recently I got this ergonomic mechanical keyboard to help keep my scapula in the proper position by not having to bring my wrists together.

One thing most people neglect is proper exercise. Having adequate strength and flexibility in key muscle groups is very important. Doing exercises (correctly) that strengthen you back, abs, and glutes will really help achieve good posture. You can check out videos by Athlean X for info, that guy really knows his stuff.

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Andy Zhao (he/him)

I have a standing desk, but truth be told I don't use it much... oops. I'll definitely be revisiting it once I have a new setup when I move though.

There's also these back braces / back support things...

Posture Now Back Brace

But they seem pretty gimmicky to me. Although if you've had experience with a thing like this, would love to hear about your experience.

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Andy Zhao (he/him)

Also, I noticed that sitting up straight while eating helps with my digestion!

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Elliot DeNolf

A few things to keep in mind that should help you out.

  • Wrists parallel to your desktop
  • Feet flat on the floor, use a footrest or rolled-up towel if needed
  • Adjust monitor height, top of the monitor at eye-level or slightly above. This one will probably help most with slouching
  • Sit/stand desk also helps but not a requirement
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Tammy Lee

I don't! :D
My posture when standing is good, however.
Core strength training and yoga help a lot.

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Mike Lockhart • Edited

I have a full-time standing desk.

Posture (standing) is something that I'm still struggling with, even after a few years of this. I've just hit on something that I'm trying out -- super daggy: get your groove on!

I'm serious, put on a set of cans, cue up some EDM (I like deadmau5) and bop about. In an office environment you do get strange looks. But only for the first week ;-)

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Jen Chan

Oh gosh I code from bed too much. When I work work I try to alternate between sit and stand a lot.

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César D. Velandia • Edited

When at home, I grab a peanut-shaped massage ball and put it between the seat and my lower back. You've got move constantly to keep and the ball in place. I find this beneficial for your lumbar and coccyx areas and not as distracting at it seems. IMO good posture also means shifting your weight often.

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JaredHarbison

This is a great prompt!

I have found that even with a great desk, chair, pillow, or belt I can still slouch. The key, for me, is simply my own awareness of my posture. I am also trying to eliminate as much of a carbon/ wasteful capitalism footprint as I possibly can.

Correcting my posture for myself is as simple as squeezing what few abs I have. It causes me to...

  • straighten my lower back
  • pull my chest forward
  • drop my shoulders back.

Keeping my wrists lifted off the top of the laptop helps as lot as well. It pushes my shoulders back, and prompts me to push my chest forward and pull my abdomen up.

Practicing yoga with my desk posture in mind helped me learn the commands I give myself and what good posture feels like. Call it a Ruby method -> correct_posture(action, body part, direction).

Naturally what follows is... how do I ensure I actually do this? I've found that one type of reminder only works for a random amount of time, but I've used several techniques to remind myself including...

  • a note on the wall above the monitor
  • a couple sticky cabinet-door stops on the laptop where my wrists land
  • keeping a small window open of myself in the camera to view my posture
  • random reminders from my calendar
  • accountability partners in the office "sit up straight you lazy bum!"

Ciao!

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cathydra

The Upright Go is a little stance corrector that connects to your back and sends vibration updates at whatever point you slump or lose act. While associated with the application, it gives a constant feedback,training system, and insights to slowly improve your stance and your back well eing and a push to your feeling of certainty alongside it.

Could a gadget the size of my vehicle keys truly right a lifetime of droop?

for more info check this usefull links

ladieshabits.com/post/Upright-Post...
facebook.com/LadiesHabits/

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Jonathan

Very relevant topic – thanks for posting!

I have terrible sitting posture, but I don't seem to have had too much trouble with my back so far.

A few things I do, not sure how much this helps...

  1. Frequently shift my posture, so I don't spent too long in any one posture.
  2. Frequently take a break, get up, move around, etc.
  3. Go for walks or exercise as often as I can
  4. Frequently do back and leg stretches advised by my specialist
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Younes

I just received a new chair from Aliexpress for less than €100.

That's just my first impression but the chair is definitely more pleasant than my old chair. With a back support, my back thanks me !

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Andreas Jakof

Hitting the gym twice a week using the rowing machine for at least 30 minutes helped me a lot with my posture.

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Vinícius Hoyer

we configured slack reminders to remind hourly to her our postures right

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AxelleDRouge

I sit on a fitness ball. If I don't keep a good posture, I roll and fall in front of everyone. And it's a good training

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Dave Jacoby

I don't. Standing desk.