How to improve back posture while working remotely. Tips and tricks

« Back to blog2024-02-24

A good posture influences the distribution of weight across the body. As a core contributing factor to the misalignment of the musculoskeletal system, a bad posture increases the vulnerability of the spine. Posture has a direct impact on a person’s centre of gravity, affecting balance and flexibility. And, in that regard, using a massage chair while working remotely can help you take care of your back posture properly.

Maintaining the diaphragm in a contracted position, bad posture forces shallow breathing which increases a person’s sensitivity to cold and may even determine the appearance of pneumonia. The direct impact posture has on the oxygen levels transmitted across the body can also cause chest pain and heart palpitations, gradually deteriorating the immune system and leading to premature ageing. The digestive system may also be affected by bad posture, especially the flow of nutrients towards cells and the elimination of metabolic waste.

Fortunately, one’s posture can be gradually corrected through lifestyle choices, such as using a professional massage chair on a daily basis. We compiled a couple of tips for you to improve your posture while preserving the same engagement in your day to day activities.

Working from home can ruin your back posture

A bad posture can be the consequence of injuries, but most frequently it represents the cumulated response to the positions we adopt most in our everyday routine. Posture is, therefore, mostly influenced by how we sit and stand.

Maintain good posture while working remotely

Regardless of how focused our work gets us, we can always be mindful of our posture. When sitting, our knees should be at the same level to our hips or below. Our work space should also allow us to gently stretch muscles if necessary. Any tension we may feel in our neck, shoulders, or lower and mid back area should be approached as a sign to take a break.

Set up your desk

Our desk should allow us to maintain our shoulders back without leaning forward. Whether a study desk or just a kitchen table, the height of our work station should allow us to maintain our head in a position in which our ears are equally distanced from our shoulders.

Choose the right chair

Compared to a corporate office where ergonomic furniture is more likely to be integrated, working from home forces us to arrange our work station around the living or kitchen area. Especially when we don’t rely on a study room, we are more likely to opt for chairs designed for a totally different purpose and therefore, for a rather short sitting duration. Keeping a cushion behind our back can help neutralise the impact of sitting on our lumbar area.

The desk and chair adjustments you should consider

The first issue to check is whether our work surfaces are at the exact height. Our computers and chair height can be adjusted by verifying whether our eye level reaches the top of our screen.

Other tips and tricks for good back posture when you work from home

When working from home, we grant ourselves the liberty to opt for whatever corner of our home we find most inspiration in. However, we are recommended to avoid chairs which may be too soft, as they may become too inviting for relaxing positions which can influence a crooked posture. Low-seated sofas are also not recommended, as they generate tension in the neck area. Nevertheless, we should also remain mindful of our head position when checking out our phones.

Sit up straight

A bad posture can be recognised by standing stooped and sitting slouched. However, standing straight is not enough to convince ourselves on having a good posture. The best tip to verify our posture is to check whether our spine creates three curves. If we’re not comfortable with the position we catch ourselves in, we can also pay attention to our static and dynamic posture, which can be noticed when moving, including when bending. Keeping our legs crossed when working at our desks is also not advisable.

Take periodic breaks

Intellectual effort is demonstrated to produce muscle tension in the neck and shoulders area. Especially when our remote work reduces us to our desks, we are advised to take at least five minutes of break each hour.

Take a walk

Stretching stands put as the main health goal we should prioritise when working on regaining our posture. Therefore, even 30 minutes of low intensity exercise helps. Regardless of our engagement with fitness, walking can always be an inspired choice to provide our muscles the required stretching.

Exercise

Though any kind of physical activity is salutary in our strategy to regain our good posture, we are especially advised towards an exercise routine focused on body awareness. Tai chi, yoga, pilates, and even dancing can be therefore beneficial, as well as using a zero-gravity massage chair. When opting for a fitness routine, we are recommended to prioritise exercise which improves flexibility, allows muscle control and alternates movement patterns. Nevertheless, we should not neglect our abs, since waist weight puts additional pressure on our spine.

Use a massage chair

Massage chairs represent an unexpected opportunity through which we can address our posture while enjoying the high convenience of remote working. Targeting specific areas of the body, massage chairs are demonstrated to relieve muscle tension, stimulate circulation, and release endorphins. However, through its outstanding impact on flexibility and its ability to relieve tension in the back, stretching remains the most important argument through which massage chairs can help us tackle the effects of a sedentary lifestyle on our posture.

Massage chairs have various features integrated which allow adjusting each session to the specific needs within each moment of the day. For example, we can opt for a deep tissue massage when our static position placed increased tension on muscle fibres. Especially when we integrate a light walk, our massage chair can help us extend the energy boost we attained in our physical activity. Through the sports massage feature, just a couple of minutes on our chair can enhance our mobility, stimulate blood circulation, and relief muscle pain. Each task we check of our to-do list can be an opportunity for a couple of minutes on the Swedish massage function designed for tension relief and mental relaxation.