To help you improve your posture at work, we asked business professionals and leaders this question for their insights. From stretching routinely after meetings to taking walks during meetings, there are several routines and exercises to improve your posture at work.

Here are nine ways to improve your posture at work:

• Stretch Routinely After Meetings
• Invest in Height-Adjustable Equipment
• Using a Foam Roller
• Pay Attention to your Feet
• Incorporate Wrist Rotation Exercises
• Practice Doing Shoulder Roll Exercises
• Use Tools to Maintain an Upright Posture
• Try Inversion Therapy for the Spine
• Take Walks During Meeting

 

Stretch Routinely After Meetings

My best better-posture hack is to get into the routine of performing posture exercises whenever meetings end early. After leaving the meeting, brace against a doorframe and lean in to stretch out your back and shoulders. If working in a traditional office, then you can find a low-traffic area to avoid feeling self-conscious, and if working at home the extra movement will offset sedentary work habits. These quick and easy exercises double as a reset and re-energize after long meetings, and chances are that you will sit much straighter and feel more alert upon returning to your chair. By planning to do the exercises every time you have a few extra minutes you have no excuse to skip the routine and abandon the good habit for the sake of being too busy. After a few days, the routine will likely become second nature, and you will find yourself performing posture maintenance without thinking about it.

Michael Alexis, TeamBuilding

Invest in Height-Adjustable Equipment

When it comes to chairs, desks, and screens, their aesthetics is often prioritised over ergonomic properties. Overcoming this approach and thinking about the equipment that allows adjusting height to the user's needs can help maintain the right posture. The chair and desk can allow placing forearms at a right angle. Screen located at the line of sight can prevent hunching over.

Rebeca Sena, GetSpace.digital

Using a Foam Roller

Using a foam roller at home can improve your posture and back. If you work remotely, using quick 15 minute breaks to roll out your back, hips, and shoulders helps to relax all muscles and release tension. Overall posture is improved, preventing injuries.

Olivia Young, Conscious Items

Pay Attention to your Feet

Working for at least eight hours can cause pain for our bodies if we are sedentary for too long. One way to improve your posture while working is to pay attention to the placement of your feet. Your posture can improve and pain can lessen if you have both feet completely flattened on the floor. To go more in detail, no leg crossing, ankle crossing, or tippy toes, just having your feet completely flattened touching the floor. By having your feet placed this way, it can better align the structure of your back and keep it straightened. This will take time to get used to, but once you make this one change, you will see a change in your posture and back pain.

Aaron McWilliams, 1Dental

Incorporate Wrist Rotation Exercises

Typing for long hours at a stretch puts an immense amount of strain on your wrists and could even result in carpal tunnel syndrome. To keep your wrists agile and healthy, incorporate wrist rotation exercises alternating between clockwise and anti-clockwise rotations that will both loosen up the tightness in your muscles and strengthen them.

Aside from this, invest in a good-quality rest pad that you can attach to your desk and keep your arm elevated for better support.

Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.

Practice Doing Shoulder Roll Exercises

One way you can improve your posture at work is by practicing rolling your shoulders back and holding your back erect. This will help generate perfect posture and if you practice this over and over again it will become a habit. Sit in a chair and roll your shoulders back, causing your back to stand more upright. This is a great way to achieve perfect posture and improve any pain you are having from incorrect posture.

Tyler Read, Personal Trainer Pioneer

Use Tools to Maintain an Upright Posture

On job sites, there are a few best practices to follow to improve and maintain your posture in an active role. Movements such as stooping and squatting can put excessive strain on your knees and back. Whenever possible, use tools that allow you to maintain an upright posture while completing daily tasks and ask for help to lift heavy objects when needed — and always maintain a stretching routine.

Ryan Shallenberger, SEKISUI

Try Inversion Therapy for the Spine

My posture has improved greatly since I started doing inversion therapy. This is done with an inversion table, which suspends a person upside-down, relieving pressure from the nerves and putting space between the vertebrae. I notice that I am more inclined to sit with a straight spine since I began doing it.

Nancy Belcher, Winona

Take Walks During Meeting

Instead of slouching into a conference room chair use your next 1 on 1 meeting to take a few laps around the office building. Ask the person your meeting with to join you and most will welcome the fresh air and brief exercise. In addition to helping posture, it burns calories, improves creativity and sets a great example for others in your office.

Logan Mallory, Motivosity