As we’ve mentioned, posture is about movement and being able to center your body in a position that encourages flexibility. Forget standing in an incredibly awkward, straight position. Each body is different, and discovering the best posture for your body type will vary.

Check out the posture infographic to learn more about posture dos and don’ts and how to achieve the right position for you.

[Infographic Via]

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1. Never slouch or slump to achieve good posture.
This claim is false (we told you you’d be surprised). If you only sit or stand in a straight, usually unnatural, position, you’re not allowing your body to experience a full range of motion. Good posture supports the ability of easy, fluid movement, and flexing into a slouch gives you more freedom to easily change positions. Just make sure not to sit in that position too long, posture is about movement.

2. Crossing your legs leads to varicose veins.
False! Although this claim isn’t entirely true, it does lead to negative side effects. Crossing your legs can lead to lower back pain. And when you cross your legs it leads to increased pressure and locks your body into a fixed position.

3. Stand or sit straight to achieve good posture.
Wrong. Standing or sitting straight up to achieve proper alignment is actually doing nothing for you. It’s fixing the body in one position, without allowing room for movement. You’re familiar with the position: shoulders pushed back at attention, spine overly extended, and the face contorted into apparent discomfort. Posture is dynamic, so you can be ready to move in any direction at a moment’s notice. Bad posture is fixed, uncomfortable and unnatural.

4. Bad posture causes scoliosis.
There has never been a study linking bad posture to scoliosis. Scoliosis stems from unknown causes.

5. There’s only good and bad posture.
The idea of bad posture leads to people locking themselves in that uncomfortable position described in Number 3. Then movement completely stops and you’re stuck in one position. That position doesn’t set the standard for what’s good and what’s bad. Posture should instead be viewed as an idea without hard rules. The human body is different, so finding an individual position that encourages movement and comfort will vary for everyone.

6. Sitting at a computer all day ruins posture.
Fact. Beyond adversely affecting your health, sitting does cause bad posture. It causes your neck to strain and shoulders to hunch, but worst of all, it keeps you in a fixed position. Make sure to keep adjusting and moving in your chair during the day, or you can opt for standing up (which we highly recommend).

So instead of remaining in your chair all day, get up and move! You don’t have to awkwardly march to the water cooler with straight shoulders and a straight spine, just move. Saunter over to your coworker’s desk for a chat instead of sending an email, or walk around the block during lunch. Stand and stretch behind your desk every so often to encourage the most important quality of posture: Movement.

[Via Huffington Post and Ladies Home Journal]

The post Bad Posture Myths Revealed appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

But with all the negative talk about sitting, people forget that standing all day isn’t ideal either. Too much standing can cause varicose veins, swollen feet and joint damage. For this reason, it’s not about picking sides between sitting and standing. It’s about finding a balance between the two.

Adjustable height desks like Xdesk combat this problem by encouraging more movement in the workplace between different positions. So when you’re ready to sit down and think, you have the freedom to do so with the touch of a button.

But before you take a seat, there is a right and wrong way to sit at a standing desk.

Of course, the most important thing to consider when you sit at a standing desk is posture. Improper posture can cause a horde of problems, including back, neck and knee pain. For the moments when you do sit at an adjustable height desk, invest in an office chair with lumbar support.

Your spine curves naturally, and your office chair should support the natural bone structure accordingly. Proper lumbar support when you sit at a standing desk will greatly reduce the risk of back and shoulder pain later on.

When you sit at a standing desk, sit close to the keyboard. Even better, if you have an adjustable keyboard tray, position it so it’s directly in front of your body, but low enough so your shoulders and elbows are in an open, relaxed position. Your wrists and hands should be straight and not curved up or down. A wrist wrest on your adjustable height desk will keep your hands in a natural position and provide added support.

Place your hips at the back of the chair while you sit at a standing desk, and adjust the height so your feet are able to rest flat on the floor. The knees should be slightly lower than your hips, to help you sit up tall. An angle between 100 and 110 Degrees is recommended for your back.

The monitor at your adjustable height desk should be centered directly in front of you, so you don’t have to strain or stress your neck. The neck should be in a relaxed position. When you are sitting at a standing desk, sit at least an arm’s length away from the screen. If you suffer from eyestrain, check out how to avoid it during the workday, HERE.

Don’t stay in your seat too long, remember, it’s all about balance! So if you start to feel sluggish or begin to slouch, stand up and stand tall. If you own an adjustable height desk, how have you made the transition from sitting to standing most of the day?

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It’s time to start thinking about improving your posture, but this time we have a few tips on maintaining good habits that won’t have you getting strange looks from coworkers.

Take Time to Reflect

• Instead of staring out your office window, use it as a mirror to check out your posture. Figure out what’s keeping you out of line. Slouched shoulders, hips to the side, or bent back? Let the mirror be your guide.

Start From the Bottom

• Good posture begins with your feet. They should be relatively shoulder length apart. Next, align your hips and keep your shoulders squared to create a straight line from head-to-toe.

Teach and Repeat

• Instead of running to get coffee during breaks, try teaching your body what it feels like to stand tall. Position your body against the wall, with just your shoulders, head and butt touching it. It will feel awkward at first, but practice makes perfect! And soon it will feel strange not standing that way.

Stick With It

• Since we can’t bring our mothers with us to the office (usually), place post-it notes or stickers around your workspace to remind you to keep your posture in check. You can be as harsh or as gentle as you like, just as long as it gets you to stand up straight.

Get in Your Head

• Of course it’s important to continue to sit up straight while sitting, but don’t forget to adjust the head rest! Your back may be aligned, but it’s not doing any good if you’re straining the neck. The head rest should be placed so the middle of your head rests against it, not beneath the neck or placed too high.

Did you practice these steps? What did you think?

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