Tips to Stay Healthy If You Sit at a Computer All Day

Give your monitor a second look. If your screen is planted directly on your desktop, it’s time to ask management for a raise — for your computer’s display. The top of your the screen should be level with your eyes. The idea is to get the eyes looking down about 10 degrees. If it’s any lower or higher, computer users will adapt to it by moving their head. If your screen is too low, your head points down, causing neck and back aches. High displays, meanwhile, contribute to dry eye syndrome.

Poor posture? Take it on the chin. Poor posture is something that every office-based employee should consider throughout their day. Most people sitting at a computer get drawn into the screen, which means they crane their necks forward. This imbalance puts strain on the neck and spine. Sitting at a desk, that bowling ball is actually our head, so Bowman recommends chin retractions, or making a double chin, to keep the neck and spine lined up underneath.

Stand up for yourself. The modern workplace was built around the concept of sitting, but humans’ natural ability to stand goes back millions of years. Sit-stand workstations helped workers replace 25 percent of their sitting time with standing up, which can increase their sense of well being and decrease their fatigue and appetite.

Move it or lose it. But why stand when you could walk? Many offices around the country are getting wise to treadmill desks, which can help workers burn 100 calories more per hour during the working day. The most important thing is to switch it up and work in different positions throughout the day