A wrong sitting posture can lead to quite a few complaints. Especially when you spend a good number of hours sitting during your workday. Did you know that working Netherlands (ages 18 to 65) sits an average of 9.9 hours per day* ? Therefore, learning a good sitting posture is extremely important. Are you aware of your sitting posture? In this article, we provide you with tips to prevent complaints from a wrong posture.

* National Institute for Public Health and the Environment

An important question to ask yourself: Do I really have a good posture? That is difficult to determine exactly. Almost no one sits perfectly all day. With a healthy sitting posture, it is important that you keep both feet on the floor. There is a slight curve in your lower back, your shoulders are straight, and you are looking straight ahead. This way, you do not have a curve in your neck.

A correct posture ensures that your body weight is well distributed over your body.

Let's be honest, we really sit a lot. And since more and more work can be done behind a screen, the previously mentioned average of 9.9 hours a day will only increase. Improving your posture helps you prevent physical complaints. Or if you are already experiencing issues, it can prevent them from getting worse.

"Below we discuss some of the most common complaints of poor posture:"

• Chronic pain in the neck, shoulders, and back

According to figures from the CBS, 1 in 5 Dutch people experience work-related complaints such as pain in their neck, shoulders, wrists, hands, or back. Sitting in a poor posture for a long time causes you to continue feeling this pain even when you are not sitting.

• Difficulty getting up due to a stiff feeling in your body

A bad sitting posture also carries over into the night. A stiff feeling in your joints and muscles is often the result of a poor working posture.

• Headache

Headaches often come into play with various other complaints. Headaches caused by poor posture occur when there is too much tension on your neck, shoulders, and back during your work. This tension eventually radiates to your head, causing you to have a headache.

• Worsened digestion

"A wrong posture can cause you to compress your intestines. As a result, your digestion works less effectively."

• Difficulty breathing

Just like the constriction of your intestines, this can also happen to your lungs. This makes it difficult for you to breathe. This also has a negative effect on your productivity because you get less oxygen!

• Hernia

A hernia is sometimes attributed to poor posture. A hernia most often occurs in the back and can indeed be a result of incorrect posture. Fortunately, these complaints often only arise after a long period of poor body posture. Read on and discover what you can do to prevent this!

Now that you have learned about the importance of good posture, we are happy to help you with these 6 tips:

1. Roll your shoulders

"A simple solution to start with is rolling your shoulders. Do a set of 10 repetitions every hour throughout the day. It makes a big difference in your shoulders and neck! By regularly rolling your shoulders, you release the knots in your neck and shoulders."

2. Stretching stretching

Develop a short stretching routine for yourself. The internet is full of good examples of stretching routines that you can easily perform during your work. Sufficient stretching ensures that your muscles and body remain flexible. Knots or tension that have arisen from poor posture are worked out and temporarily eliminated.

"The best thing is to regularly perform your routine during your workday before you get back to work. This way, you also take your eyes off the screen for a moment!"

3. Keep your feet on the ground

"I regularly catch myself doing this. A half tailor's position in my office chair, or one foot on the leg and the other on the ground. Do you remember what is important for a good posture? A well-distributed weight. And you only have that in your office chair with your feet on the ground."

4. Pay attention to the position of your neck

Fortunately, more and more gadgets and tools are coming that make it easier to maintain a good neck posture. Think of laptop stands or TV mounts that ensure we look at our screens with a straight neck.

To prevent neck complaints, it is important to look straight ahead and not up or down. A good way to relieve knots and tension in your neck is to look away from your screen every 25 minutes and to rotate your head in a circle.

5. Ensure sufficient exercise

Not only do your performances in the gym contribute to good posture (due to stronger core muscles), but also occasionally walking to the bathroom, the coffee machine, or taking a walk during your lunch break are perfect for getting out of your office chair for a moment. Getting some fresh air, letting everything go, and then getting back to work. All that fresh air is also great for your concentration!

6. Regularly changing position

"Perhaps the best way to prevent sitting complaints is to change your posture regularly. More and more office buildings from home workspaces are being equipped with desks where you can work while standing. Super handy for the variation with sitting. In addition to desks for standing, you can also choose alternative office chairs to switch it up..."

A sit ball essentially forces you to adopt an active working posture. You are constantly engaged in correcting your body to maintain balance. This trains the muscles in your core, making it easier for you to adopt the correct posture. Of course, you don't have to sit on a ball all day for good posture. But sitting on one for an hour or two as a change from your office chair works wonders for your back!

Want to know more? Read what is a sitting ball?

The sitting balls from Backerz are available in 10 vibrant colors. They not only contribute to a healthy posture but also brighten up your workspace!