Raise (or lower) your chair seat so your thighs are slanted downhill (knees below hip joints). Sit with your body’s weight 75% your thighs and only 25% on your buttocks. This orientation of your pelvis establishes a broad foundation for your spine and makes it easier to sit erect.

• Once your seat is at the correct height, adjust the height of your monitor so your line of sight is level with the upper third of the screen.
• Adjust the height of your keyboard so your wrists are on the same plane as your elbows.
• Take frequent breaks to stretch, walk around, and change your visual focus.

DO get up and move around every 20-30 minutes. By staying active, even for quick moments, you will improve circulation throughout your body.

DON'T let your shoulders roll forward in a slouch position while working at your desk. Lift your chest and pull your shoulders down your back instead.

Roll your shoulders back. You'll find that you naturally sit up straight in a comfortable way. Your spine has natural curves anyway so super straight won't work and will feel unnatural and tiring.

• Set a reminder to get up every now and then.
• Put a note-let or screensaver next to you that pops up every 20 minutes that reminds you to think about how your sitting.
• Do you need glasses? People hunch more when they can't see very well!

Posture is something that we should be able to sustain for long periods of time without a lot of work. The biggest thing I notice with sitting is that few people actually sit all the way in the back of the chair and allow it to fully support them properly. I always encourage my patients to write reminders near their work space to cue them to keep good posture.

There’s no one perfect posture! It’s about keeping your body moving, and balanced, and training habits to minimize stress and strain. I’ve created an easy acronym to help you ACE your posture:

ACE: Be Aware, take Control, and optimize your posture Environment.

An easy fix is to make sure you aren't sitting for extended periods of time, your body will get tired and being to fold in giving the muscles you need to sit up straight a rest. My top tips:

• Sit with your shoulders over your hips keeping your back flat
• Relax your shoulders but squeeze your core, keeping your core activated while you sit not only helps strengthen your core but will keep you from wanted to fold over

Avoid staying in the same position hour after hour. Take regular posture breaks of simple exercises designed to help realign your body position. Include easy to do exercises that you can do in your workspace area that helps re-position the major load joints of the body (ankles, knees, hips, shoulders), and rebalance the muscles. Best advice is to set a timer for every 20-30 minutes, or schedule them into your daily calendar, or if that is not possible, around your lunch and restroom breaks.

Stand up, and move more. Schedule walking meetings and regular intervals when you stand. Sit/stand desks, walking desks are great options.

Learn decompression exercises that you can do at your desk (foundation training, posture alignment corrective exercises, yoga, and Pilates all have excellent resources to pull from).

The number one key to your best physical health and perfect posture is awareness. Simple check-ins throughout the day can minimize or eliminate most chronic problems. Our bodies are meant to move in a neutral position, however, and you're most likely guilty of doing the opposite up to this point. To correct this, adjust your seat to the appropriate height to reduce a tilt in your hips or a round in your lower back. Your knees should directly extend from your hips at a 90 degree angle or lower. Second, maintain a neutral position while seated. Keep your ears above your shoulders, shoulders above your hips, heels under your knees, and your feet flat on the floor. Third, stand up and/or walk when you fidget or reposition your body while seated. If you begin to shift in your seat, listen to your body! It's time to move! It takes muscle activation and strength to fight gravity and maintain perfect posture. Although you may be using the right muscles, they will fatigue too! With this being said, relight the system and find a reason to walk around.

Posture is something we have to actively work on throughout the day, we all succumb to bad posture sometimes! I often catch myself slouching over at my computer or at the end of the day feel added tension to my shoulders. If your back is curved while you're sitting, you're giving in to bad posture! If you aren't "actively sitting" you're giving in to bad posture! It's easy to do, but something we must be constantly mindful of.

There are many ways to determine if you have bad posture. The main way, and perhaps the most important, is the presence of any pain in your body as a result of prolonged sitting. Your body works at its best when it is in its correct postural alignment.

With bad posture, structures such as your muscles and joints become over loaded (especially if you sit down all day).

A quick test you can do is the Wall test:

• Stand up and stand your back to the nearest wall
• You should be able to touch the back of your head, shoulders, bottom and ankles comfortably.

Poor posture at work can take a toll on your body. Signs of bad posture can include rounded or slouched shoulders, bent knees or hips when standing or walking, and weak abdominal muscles that lead to a "potbelly." A forward head is especially indicative of bad posture. This can lead to headaches, muscle spasms, and even early onset neck arthritis. If you have back pain when sitting in your chair or when you lean forward, then you're most likely not set up to correct ergonomic standards.

You can tell if you have bad posture if you suffer from headaches, if you wind up with a sore or achy upper or lower back, or if you find yourself having to shift in the chair.

Invest in an adjustable computer chair and desk and set it up correctly. I also encourage my clients to keep a foam roller on hand to release tight muscles in the hips, back and shoulders. Many of my clients also keep a yoga strap or PVC pipe on hand to pass back and forth over head to stretch the rotator cuff/pecs and to extend the thoracic spine.

Don't forget, your chair makes a huge difference! Having the wrong type of chair can lead to poor posture and injuries. Use a chair that is built to assist in better posture. And while at your desk don't lean into it, this will only encourage poor posture. Instead, pull yourself closer to the desk to force an upright position.

Adjustable-height desk or laptop cart that is easy to adjust.Computer chairs should have a firm and flat seat, adjustable height, and the ability to tilt and swivel in response to movement of the body. Bankers’ chairs are a great option.

Avoid chairs with armrests if they raise the elbows above waist level. In general, chairs with armrests limit movement.

Avoid padded seats and “bucket” seats that encourage the pelvis to roll back.

In the work environment, I highly recommend a kneeling chair. It places the pelvis in a position where it is easier to maintain good posture throughout your body.

Having a standing desk that goes from sit to stand is a great tool to have. Being able to switch from a sitting to a standing posture every 30 minutes will help. You also want a chair you can adjust at several different places. The more adjustable the better, that way no matter what you height or weight you can make the chair work for you.

It is advisable not to get a chair with a lumbar support. Those are best purchased separately. Chairs that come with a lumbar support already attached or built in, do not come with one that are built in for you and your height and your weight. Make sure each piece is customizable to you.

Spend at least as much time standing up as sitting, preferably more. Everyone's body is different; listen to what feels comfortable for your own body. If you have always worked seated, it may take time for your body to become accustomed to standing.

Wear flat-heeled shoes while standing.

Stand on an ergonomic floor mat that provides both cushioning and support

Start reasonable. It can be hard for someone who's been sitting all day to switch to standing for hours and hours. That can lead to a whole other set of problems. So listen to your body and aim for a few minutes of standing each hour to start and see how that feels. Try and increase standing time every few weeks by a few minutes more so you don't overload your joints too quickly.

When trying to evaluate how long one should switch between the standing and the seated position of their standing desks, you would have to factor in many variables such as the tightness in one's hips all the way to what kind of shoes the person is wearing. High heeled shoes, for example, are far more taxing on the hips, and pelvic region stability and positioning than a pair of tennis shoes, or flat dress shoes. Ultimately, if you want an intelligent approximation that's a lot less scientific, you should vary your body's positioning between standing and sitting every so often throughout the day and pay close attention to how your body feels. If you find you have tightness or discomfort in your low back, you should switch positions as that's indicative of your hip flexor muscles becoming tight. No matter the frequency of changes, or the duration spent standing or sitting, periodic stretching is very important in order to maintain flexibility throughout the hips and legs which will ultimately help keep you feeling good, as well as ensure proper pelvic positioning.

In response to the constant demand on your body (gravity counts), it's important to move or change position every 20-30 minutes. The same principle applies when utilizing a raiseable desk. As mentioned before, your muscles will fatigue while maintaining perfect posture. Not surprisingly, ambitious people have bought the raiseable desks with hopes of resolving their postural issues but still end up compensating by shifting their weight while standing and placing themselves in compromising positions. When you shift, it isn't a failure! It's just a cue to reposition. Sitting, standing, or walking may be the most appropriate response.

I recommend interchanging between the sitting and standing position at least every 60 minutes. (... and perhaps even more frequent if it is practical for you)

Standing desks are awesome. You will only burn a handful of additional calories standing versus sitting, but a standing desk may help mitigate back or shoulder pain. Alternating every 30 minutes between sitting and standing is a good goal for comfort.

Building an intelligent posture environment can make ALL the difference. For many, standing desks are a new and great option. For others, an ergonomic workstation works better. I find an adjustable sit-stand workstation can give the best of both worlds.

Changing it up can be fun… Swap your chair for a yoga ball for the morning - you might decide to switch permanently! And, especially if you’re on your feet, a shock absorbing mat and a small footrest can make a huge difference in how you feel at the end of the day.

Whether you sit, stand or choose to incorporate a combination, here’s a method used by health and fitness practitioners to adjust your unique body to your posture environment at work by checking yourself from the bottom up, by PostureZone®:

• Feet: Can your feet rest flat, comfortably on the ground? If your seat is too high you’ll develop muscle tightness in the legs and back. If it’s too low, you’ll reflexively hunch over straining the back and neck.
• Pelvis: If you sit, supporting yourself with a good chair is key! Hips should be slightly above the knees.
• Torso & Arms: Keeping your torso vertical is the goal. A marked forward (or backward) lean means muscles are working to compensate, ultimately creating stress. Adjust your keyboard so your wrists are supported without pressure, and shoulders can be down and relaxed.
• Head: Are you sitting tall, or is your head jutting forward? TIP: Adjust your monitor so your head is level when you look straight ahead.

Yes, different chairs, mats, yoga balls, and the like can certainly be advantageous for some, but conversely, detrimental to others. With my personal training clients, I have the obvious advantage of being able to observe any and all imbalances they might have, thus giving me the ability to make personal recommendations. Sight unseen, however, I would suggest you experiment with different chairs, floor coverings, etc…, and pay close attention to how they make you feel. It goes without saying that a chair that positions your body too high or too low for a computer keyboard will naturally result in postural distortions throughout the shoulder complex as well as the trapezius muscles, as you'll be reaching or bending for extended periods of time. That said, make an effort to position your body both comfortably, and naturally, in your work space, and take periodic inventory of how your body reacts to the changes in seating, floor surfaces, and whatever other variables you have in the rotation.

Yes definitely. Different types of chairs - the Swiss ball chair is good because you are forced to sit up straight and engage you core.

Standing desks are a definite yes so workers can alternate between standing and sitting. This will reduce lower back pain and the hunched shoulder look.

I think the types of chair makes a really big difference for starting and keeping good posture. Stand up desks with the option to sit down are really ideal because they allow for variability in positions. Honestly, I am not a big fan of Yoga ball chair because most people don't have the strength and control to maintain that upright posture for a full work day.

All can be helpful for alleviating muscular strain, mainly sit/stand desks, and standing mats. However, being aware of posture, and how to establish proper body mechanics and positioning far outweighs the gadgets. If you are sitting with a compressed spine, and the joints at odd angles, the best chairs and gadgets in the world won't help if you are not taking the time to set up good alignment.

All of the chairs mentioned can provide benefits when it comes to posture. The key is to make sure you are still following the rules. With a yoga ball chair, sometimes called a balance ball chair, the goal is to help you strengthen your core while you are seated, which will improve posture. But you don’t have to be on your tiptoes when the ball is inflated - you should have your feet planted flat on the floor.

I'm not an expert on ergonomics, but I know a lot of people find mesh support backs to be helpful. You can find them online for $10 and they just slip over the top of your chair to provide more support for your low back.

The style of an office chair can have a large impact on ergonomics. Everyone is built differently so it is critical to find a chair that matches your body and your ability to sustain the position it puts you in comfortably. I find the height of the seat to be the most critical element of a office desk chair because it makes it a big difference on the pressure of your spine.

It is more important to have your chair and workstation fitted to your body to minimize fatigue and unnecessary posture strain. Finding an adjustable height chair so you can set it to have your feet flat on the floor, a solid seat to sit on, and provides good lower back support. The style is always in the eye of the beholder, so finding one that fits your style and body is key. Pricing can vary widely, so best to try before you buy.