Ergonomics
Discover the best posture for your back and tips for lifting and carrying.
Back-friendly posture
What to keep in mind
Poor posture and incorrect body placement when lifting or carrying are some of the most common causes of back problems.
Standing correctly
When our bodies are in a rigid position for a long time, our muscles tire more quickly, placing far more strain on the body than walking or running.
Standing also makes it more difficult for the blood to move from our legs to our heart, causing the legs to become swollen and tired.
To avoid straining the body, avoid staying in one
position for too long.
To relieve our muscles, many of us adopt what’s known as an ‘adaptive posture’, which we often see as: a protruding cervical spine, pelvis tilted forward
breastbone and shoulders collapsed and the loss of the natural ‘S’ curves in the spine
Adopting this posture puts even more strain on the body, making things worse.
This type of “relaxing” has a negative
impact on the body!
What does a proper standing position look like?
> Feet apart hip-width and pointed forward
> Weight distributed evenly in both feet
> Knees slightly bent, not extended
> Pelvis tilted slightly backwards, glutes slightly tensed
> Breastbone raised upwards and shoulder blades pulled down
> Chin pulled slightly towards the chest
> Head upright as if a thread is pulling it upwards, keeping the cervical
spine long
In this posture, notice how this uplifts the mood and also increases body awareness. Breathing may also feel much better.
Important: Even in this healthy standing position, don’t remain upright for too long. Moving between proper posture and a relieving posture is actually good
for us!
Part of looking confident is keeping an upright
posture.
Lifting and carrying
The back endures a lot and not only when we’re sitting or standing.
Everyday movements like bending, turning, lifting, stretching, and carrying things also cause strain.
While the spine is designed for such activities, moving consciously is important so that our back stays in good shape.
Weak core muscles and careless movements are the main causes of muscle tension.
What are the steps to lifting and carrying correctly?
Before lifting any object, we should first check that the load is something we can handle alone.
When lifting, stand close to the object with your feet in a stable position, either hip or shoulder-width apart.
Feet should be firmly planted on the ground.
For heavier loads, lift with bent knees and a stretched back:
Keep the back straight and build up tension in the core muscles. Bend your knees until in a half-crouching position. Your head should be positioned so it
acts as an extension of your back.
Carrying a heavy load? Get your facts and your back
straight!
Next, check in with your core muscles again and hold the object with both hands. Lift and hold it close to the body, using the strength of your legs to
bring you upright. Breathe evenly.
While carrying the object, continue to keep it as close to the body as possible and make sure to keep the tension in your abdominal and back muscles. The upper body should remain straight.
Always keep the load you’re carrying close to the
body.
When placing a load down, similar movements apply:
Bend at the knees with your back straight. Keep the object close to your body as you slowly place it down on the ground.
Back health at work
The correct sitting position
1.5 billion people around the world sit while working, placing a heavy strain on the back.
While having an ergonomic workspace can help reduce back strain, it doesn’t replace the benefits of taking regular breaks or maintaining an active
lifestyle.
Keep reading to find out what to look for when setting up your workspace.
Whether in the car, on public transport, at home, or at work, we spend a major part of the day sitting.
Before we begin, knowing how to sit properly and remembering to change positions regularly are the first steps to healthier sitting.
When seated, pay attention to maintaining an upright posture, since this distributes the strain evenly over the spine, the back muscles, and the
intervertebral discs.
Ergonomic design
Ideally, our workspace should allow us to remain upright. Whether sitting or standing, our bodies should be properly supported in order to minimise
strain.
While working, whatever it is we’re working on should be within a comfortable distance from the body.
More support for our bodies = less tension.
Your chair
Is your chair the correct size and height for you? Look out for the following points:
The seat should be tilted slightly forward, with a space of two fingers between the seat and the hollow of your knee.
Your chair is at the correct height if the angle between the upper body and the thigh (or the hip joint) is greater than 90°.
There should also be an angle of at least 90° between your thigh and calf (or the knee joint).
Are you sitting correctly?
Next, your feet should be placed comfortably apart and flat on the floor.
If necessary, use a footstool.
The backrest of your chair should be adjustable and it should support the lumbar area (aka the lower back).
If this isn’t possible, a rolled-up towel or piece of clothing can help by placing it behind the lumbar spine for support.
You should be able to lean back in your office chair without too much effort.
Finally, the armrests should be high enough for your arms to be placed at elbow height without the shoulders pulling up. This ensures that your shoulders
stay relaxed.
Note: The closer the shoulders to the ears, the more
tension there is.
If sitting is your only option at work, change positions regularly and take short movement and stretching breaks.
Sitting, like doing anything for too long, can be
harmful to the body.
Your desk
Your desk is at the centre of setting up an ergonomic workspace. When considering the placement of your desk, avoid placing it directly in front of a
window – this would make the brightness gradient during the day compared to the monitor too high, which could lead to headaches or tired eyes.
On the other hand, if the window is at your back, you risk being distracted by reflections on the monitor.
The ideal placement for a desk is perpendicular to the window (or at a 90° angle). Installing curtains or blinds is also recommended to ensure that your
workspace is glare-free.
Once your chair is properly adjusted (after following the tips in the previous section), the next most important thing is adjusting the height of the desk.
For the best height ergonomically, your forearms should rest on the desk at a 90° angle without having to lift your shoulders or bend your upper body.
Play around with different heights until you find the
correct angle.
If your desk is too high and it’s not adjustable, raise your chair a little higher. If needed, use a footstool to ensure that your feet are comfortably supported.
For a long day at the office, consider a sit-stand stand desk that can help reduce back pain and tiredness, all the while increasing productivity.
Transitioning between sitting and standing is a winning combination.
Your computer screen
To relieve strain on the eyes, neck, and back muscles, it’s important to consider the placement of your computer screen.
When in front of the computer, you should be able to hold your head in a natural position.
To check if you’re sitting at a good distance, sit in your chair and stretch out your arms – if your fingertips don’t touch the screen, you’re as good as gold!
Rule of thumb: The distance from your screen should be at least 60 cm; for large screens, up to 80 cm.
When placing the angle of your screen, your gaze should land at the centre of it and your head should not need any lifting. When adjusting the height,
make sure that the top edge of the screen is level with the top of your head.
The optimal field of vision is 20 to 50 degrees above the horizontal line that divides the screen in half. This is also the area where the most important
information onscreen should be.
Level your screen so that the head and eyes do the
least work possible.
Laptops
Laptops are light and make it easier to work on the go. The downside is that it’s difficult to maintain an ergonomic position when working on one.
Not being able to separate the keyboard from the screen doesn’t allow us to adjust the setup and viewing distance.
A good alternative is to equip yourself with an additional keyboard and mouse: the extra hardware will allow you to set up your laptop at a higher position
and at the correct distance, taking better care of your posture and back.
The keyboard
Those of us who write a lot manage about 800,000 keystrokes a day – reason enough to pay attention to our keyboard!
When typing, it’s important to keep the wrists straight, while the forearms and hands form one line.
If an ergonomically designed keyboard is unavailable, having a wrist rest can be helpful.
Setting the feet of the keyboard flat (if any), place the keyboard directly in front of the body, around 10 to 20 cm from the edge of the desk. The ball of the hands should be able to rest on the desk, while the angle between the upper and lower arms is 90°.
Place your mouse as close to the keyboard as possible.
Following these tips, the arms, hands and shoulders remain relaxed while at work.
Travelling by car
Back-friendly travelling
We spend a lot of time in cars, which means it’s important that we consider the best seating for our back and how to make the appropriate adjustments.
1. Seat:
Adjust the inclination and height of the seat so that the pedals can be pressed down with little effort. At the same time, thighs should rest loosely.
Between the back of the knee and the front edge of the seat, there should be a space of 2-3 finger widths.
2. Backrest
Having a backrest that emulates the natural ‘S’ curves of the spine is ideal. If your seat doesn’t have this, place a rolled towel at the base of your spine for support. A lordosis cushion can also help (lordosis = Greek for ‘curved forwards’).
Watch out for backrests that are tilted too far back, as this places a lot of strain on the back and neck. The best placement is as follows:
While holding the steering wheel, arms should be slightly bent as shoulders lean against the backrest. When turning the wheel, shoulders should remain pressed against the backrest.
3. Headrest
Your headrest should support the whole head in times of need, but not press against it. Keeping a distance of about 2 cm from the headrest is ideal. If adjusted correctly, the top of the headrest should align with the top of your head.