If your screen is too low, you will lean toward it. It does not matter how good your intentions are or what you are wearing. Fix the desk first and sitting well becomes the default instead of something you have to keep remembering.
This takes about ten minutes. Go through it top to bottom.
1. Screen: top edge at eye level
Sit back in your chair and look straight ahead. The top of your screen should be at or slightly below that line, about an arm's length away. If you have to tip your head down to read, raise the screen. A stack of books works. So does a monitor arm.
2. Laptop: lift it, then add a keyboard
A laptop screen on a desk is almost always too low. The fix is two parts: raise the laptop to eye level, then use a separate keyboard and mouse so your hands are not stuck reaching up. If you work from a laptop most days, this is the single biggest change you can make. Our AEROStand laptop stand was built for exactly this.
3. Keyboard and mouse: close in
Pull them toward you until your elbows bend at roughly 90 degrees and your shoulders can relax. If you are reaching forward to type, your shoulders will follow.
4. Chair: back supported
Sit all the way back so the chair supports your back. Your hips should sit slightly higher than your knees.
5. Feet: flat
Flat on the floor, or on a footrest if your chair is high. Dangling feet tip you forward.
6. Breaks: put them on a timer
Stand up and move every 30 to 45 minutes. For your eyes, every 20 minutes look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
The part a desk setup cannot fix
Even with a perfect setup, focus pulls you forward. Two hours into a task, most people have drifted toward the screen again without noticing. That is a habit, and habits need a reminder you can feel.
Add a physical reminder
The AEROBack Posture Pro 2.0 is a full-back brace made for desk days. Wear it for a focused stretch of work and the double shoulder straps keep your shoulders from rolling forward while your attention is on your work. Six support stays and a wide waist wrap keep it flat and in place. It comes in three sizes, S to L.
Pair it with a short routine at your breaks. Three moves to start with:
- Chin tucks: sit tall and draw your chin straight back. Hold 3 seconds. 10 reps.
- Shoulder blade squeeze: squeeze back and down without shrugging. Hold 5 seconds. 10 reps.
- Doorway chest stretch: forearms on a door frame, step through. 2 x 30 seconds.
The full 10-minute routine is in The Posture Reset, the free guide that comes with every AEROBack. Move slowly, stay in a comfortable range and stop if anything hurts.
30-day returns on unused braces.
