Wrong postures for laptop users, causing shoulder and neck pain?
Correct your sitting posture painlessly, starting from elevating your screen!
2023/02/04 |By G. Editor
Do you sit at computer desk for long hours? You try to relieve your fatigue and soreness with daily supplements and soreness ointment; however, all efforts ended in vain. Did you ever think that the soreness may be caused by poor sitting posture and bad computer habits ?
🔍 Are the following common symptoms also your sore spots?
Never sit like this! 3 Wrong Sitting Postures
Minor aches and pains caused by bad postures can be recovered within a few days. However, sitting unconsciously in a crooked position day after day can cause irreversible damage to the spine and all parts of the body.
Accordingly, check your sitting posture with a laptop. If you cannot maintain a vertical line from your neck to your hips, this will affect the balance of your spine and muscles and put a lot of stress on the body.
🚫 Hunched back |
🚫 Lumbar lordosis |
🚫 Half lying half sitting |
Looking up at the screen while hunched over, the thoracic spine and muscles of the back are forced to bend and elongate, causing more strain on the muscles, which can easily lead to upper cross syndrome (commonly known as Text Neck) and chest distress in the long run. | A concave waist and leaning forward body will cause the center of pelvis to tilt forward, resulting in backache and lower back pain. It may also cause shoulder pain and swelling, and a rounded shoulder. | When you are lying and sitting in a C-shape, the pelvis moves forward and the body weight is carried by the coccyx instead, which can easily cause the intervertebral disc to protrude backwards and cause sciatica. |
Elevate the screen to let your spine upright naturally
「According to the health guild 'Proper Sitting Posture for Using Computers', the viewing of the screen should be kept at a depression angle of 15-20〫. However, the viewing angle of laptop placed on a table is usually lower, which inadvertently leads to several of these incorrect postures.
Therefore, raising the screen is very important. By raising the sightline, you can retrain your body's habits and improve your sitting posture quickly and effectively!
There is no need to rush to replace your chair or computer. Follow me to elevate your laptop screen in this way and pay attention to the following tips to help you find the right sitting posture.
● Adopt second monitor with a lift stand
The general way to raise a laptop is to use a laptop stand, but as the height of laptop increases, the keyboard will be tilted or suspended on the desktop, making it impossible to use the laptop's original keyboard and touchpad, and you will have to readapt to an external keyboard.
The GeChic 16.1" M161H portable monitor can be quickly and securely positioned above the laptop with the M1S4 quick release stand. You can adjust the height of the second screen based on the height of your laptop and body, so that the center of the screen is slightly below the horizontal line of sight by 15-20 degrees, ensuring that you don't look down or up too much.
Monitor arm
🚫 The monitor is cumbersome to be installed, while locking screws is required.
🚫 Clamping tables and drilling brackets are bulky and not suitable for existing desks.
Laptop lift
🚫 Disadvantages: Can't use dual monitors to increase work efficiency, some laptop stands will turn the laptop keyboard to an inclined plane, which is not convenient for typing.
● Choose a right-size screen for your eyes
Consider your viewing distance carefully and do not use an external screen that is too large! For a work desk with a general depth of 60cm, an excessive screen will make you have to tilt your head back and put more pressure on your cervical spine.
Choose a 15-16" Full HD external monitor, which is perfect to watch from 45~60cm, to increase your work area and for reading text, reports, coding, etc.
● Adjust the tilt angle to ensure a non-glare screen
In a bright working environment, even with a matte screen, a little light reflection can cause glare on the screen and make your eyes more tired.
Using the M1S4 stand to elevate the monitor, the monitor can be tilted 20° forward to 50° backward, allowing you to fine-tune the screen according to your viewing angle and avoid light reflections for a more comfortable view.
● Set the text ratio for the primary and secondary screens
In Windows 11/10, go to Settings > System > Display, adjust the text scaling ratio to make the font size on two screens similar.
If both screens have the same resolution, sit at one arm's length away and adjust to an easy-to-view ratio. If the resolution of the laptop and the second screen are different, the ratio of the higher resolution can be increased to balance the difference.
As the screen rises, the curve of the spine is elongated naturally, improving the habit of hunching and reclining. At the same time, your arms naturally rest on the desk to type, and your shoulders will not be shrugged without looking down, and the correct sitting posture is unconsciously found!
We strongly recommend using the external screen above as the "main screen" to operate the main applications, and using the laptop screen as a secondary screen to manage files or reply to communication software, to reduce the opportunity of bowing your head effectively!
Sitting correctly restores confidence and keeps you in a good mood throughout the day
Just as laughing can change your mood, a sloughed posture can make you blue. Being hunched over can easily lead people lose confidence and become listless. New Zealand scientists have found that those who sit upright have more positive emotions and better resistance to stress, while those with hunchbacks tend to fall into negative and negative emotions.
Another study has confirmed that just "correct sitting posture" has the effect of lowering cortisol (also known as the stress hormone) and reducing stress. Remember, in addition to getting up and walking frequently after sitting for a long time, don't forget to maintain a good sitting posture to keep your body and mind healthy!