Sit Right: Essential Ergonomics for Healthy Posture at Work

July 03, 2025

Not only does poor posture look uncomfortable, it feels like it too. Slouching in a chair and hunching over a keyboard strains your lower back, shoulders, and neck — and really your entire body. If you’re dealing with tension from long days at work, that might be your posture talking.

Aside from feeling achy, poor sitting posture can damage your mood, productivity, and confidence. In terms of physical health, bad posture can throw off your balance and potentially cause breathing problems, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Here’s the good news: Sitting posture can be significantly improved with even the smallest tweaks. You can work smarter, more comfortably, and more productively in a way that’s healthier for your body — in and out of the office.

Keep reading for a rundown of the fundamentals of correct sitting posture, ergonomic chair adjustments, desk posture tips, and common mistakes to avoid.

What’s The Right Position to Sit? The Fundamentals of Proper Sitting Posture

Before we go into the basics of the right position to sit and proper sitting posture, let’s talk about bad posture. Think: Shoulders rounded, back slouched forward or back, weight unevenly distributed, elbows unparalleled, and wrists curved.

On the flip side, correct sitting posture is essentially the opposite — keeping your joints and muscles in a neutral position: shoulders relaxed, head over neck, feet flat, and wrists and forearms parallel.

According to Harvard Health, the keys to proper sitting posture include:

Chin parallel to the floor
Shoulders even (roll your shoulders up, back, and down)
Neutral spine
Arms at your sides with elbows straight and even
Abdominal muscles braced
Hips even
Knees even and pointing straight ahead
Body weight distributed evenly on both feet

While this may seem like a lot to take in, making small changes can cause a ripple effect on the rest of your body. In other words, incremental shifts can go a long way!

Ergonomic Chair Features to Support Correct Sitting Posture

Your chair can (and will) make or break your posture. Office chairs that aren’t designed with ergonomic and supportive features will make you more tense and tired — and less productive and motivated (aka, not in the right position to sit).

A little discomfort here and there can add up over time, leading to issues like carpal tunnel, heartburn, and poor digestion. Who wants that? We specifically design our chairs to help you maintain a more neutral and supported position, so you can counter the risks of poor posture, release unnecessary tension, and work more effectively and comfortably in an ergonomic seated position.

Dealing with back pain as you’re reading this? Our bestselling Fern Chair is designed to offer total body support. From the adjustable seat depth and height to the armrests and high back, every detail of this chair makes you feel cradled, as if the chair is moving with you and not against you. It ticks all the boxes — and then some.

If you’re looking for something more accessible, check out our Breck Chair. Recently highlighted in Architectural Digest, this chair is highly customizable and designed with essential ergonomic features (armrests, adjustable height, adjustable depth, and more). Plus, the geometric stretch technology in the back offers breathable and flexible support to your body so you stay cool, aligned, and ache-free in an ergonomic seated position.

3 Tips: How to Adjust Your Workspace for Better Ergonomics

It’s nearly impossible to work with proper sitting posture when you’re not set up for success in your office. Beyond your chair, you can improve your posture through small tweaks to your workspace setup. If you find yourself slouching over your monitor, you’re definitely due for a change.

1. Lift Your Monitor

Is your screen at eye level? If not, lift your monitor so you’re not looking down and slouching your entire body. Ideally, your eyes look at the top third of your screen to ensure you’re in an upright, feel-good position.

Tip: One of our favorite desk posture tips is to invest in a monitor lift, like our Artifox Lift, which gives your screen a boost while also adding storage space.

2. Adjust Your Keyboard

Once your monitor is elevated, take a look at your keyboard. You want your forearms parallel to the keyboard — not angling up or down. If you’re working on a laptop, we highly recommend adding a keyboard so your wrists can maintain a neutral position.

Tip: A keyboard tray can help you achieve an effortless ergonomic setup when working with an adjustable standing desk. It can help get your keyboard exactly where you want it.

3. Pay Attention To Your Chair Height

One of the most important factors in an ergonomic sitting position is to ensure your chair is at the correct height. You want your feet flat on the floor, so you’re grounded and connected. That may require you to lift or lower your chair, so you’re in an optimal and neutral position with your knees level to your hips and your elbows and arms parallel.

Tip: If you work from home, consider working barefoot and see how the experience feels. Do you feel more grounded?

Common Sitting Posture Mistakes and How to Correct Them — Plus Desk Posture Tips

There’s no doubt that the way you work matters — however, the way you sit outside of the office matters too. Even if you make all the ergonomic chair adjustments and have a slew of desk posture tips up your sleeve, good posture is a lifelong practice. Below are common mistakes and tips on how to avoid them.

Not Taking Frequent Breaks

Staring at your screen for too long can lead to damaging effects that happen slowly over time. Your eyes, muscles, and mood will benefit when you take a moment away from the screen.

Tip: Take a quick walk or try a few desk stretches. Both can make a world of difference in your mood and overall well-being.

Forgetting To Pay Attention To Your Posture

Stay mindful, and do small checks with yourself throughout the day. Ask yourself: Are my shoulders relaxed? Is my head over my spine? Are my feet flat? Do I feel good? If not, what can you do to feel better and more neutral? These questions are critical to ask while you’re watching TV, driving a car, or basically everywhere and anywhere. Correct sitting posture isn’t just for when you’re working.

Sitting In A Dining Room Chair Or Couch All Day

When working from home, sitting on a cushy couch is tempting. But over time, it will affect your body. Instead, opt for an ergonomic chair that sets your body up to be comfortable, aligned, and as productive as possible — so you can potentially spend a little less time working and doing other things that make you feel good.

The Benefits of Correct Sitting Posture

Posture is key to our well-being, and it plays a huge role in our longevity and productivity. According to the American Chiropractic Association, the health benefits of good posture include:

Preventing degenerative arthritis and joint pain
Keeping your muscles working efficiently by allowing your body to use less energy
Avoiding back pain and muscle strain
Reducing chances of injury by having less pressure and stress on ligaments

Other benefits include increasing focus, concentration, confidence, and mood. All this to say: Don’t underestimate your posture — it plays a bigger role than we often give it credit for.

Proper Sitting Posture is an Art

Your posture plays a vital role in both your health and well-being. There’s so much you can do to ease back and shoulder pain, from subtle desk posture tips to simple ergonomic chair adjustments. All the while, you’ll improve your productivity and concentration too. When in doubt, sit a little taller, relax your shoulders, and of course, invest in an ergonomic chair.

Put your posture first and explore our full collection of ergonomic chairs and office essentials.