Back straight, feet flat on the floor, screen at eye level… and elbows at right angle. When it comes to working at a computer without ending the day with a stiff neck, there is certainly no shortage of advice on posture. It is useful, of course, but it can also give the impression that there is one perfect position that you simply need to adopt in the morning and maintain until the end of the day.

Yet sitting almost completely still for hours at a time, even with a well-adjusted workstation, is not necessarily what our bodies prefer.

A good workstation set-up is not everything

Setting up your workstation properly is still a good place to start. Your screen can, for example, be positioned so that you do not constantly have to look up, down or turn your head, while your keyboard and mouse should remain within easy reach.

But simply compare your posture at 9 am and 4 pm and you will probably notice how much it changes throughout the day. You lean closer to the screen to read something. You shift more of your weight to one side during a video call. You keep your hand on the mouse for long periods. And, often, you gradually start to slouch without even noticing.

So rather than trying to sit perfectly straight for hours, it can be more helpful to vary your position and get your body moving regularly.

A break does not need to last twenty minutes to count

Taking a break does not necessarily mean completely stopping work. Getting up to fetch some water, walking around for a few moments while taking a call, relaxing your arms, gently moving your shoulders or simply changing position can already help break up a long period spent in front of a screen.

The idea is not to add yet another constraint to your day with a routine that is impossible to maintain. Quite the opposite: opportunities to move can simply become part of what you already do.

When we focus too much on finding ‘the right posture’, we sometimes forget something much simpler: your next posture can be the right one too.

When the tension is already there

Even with these habits, after several days spent working at a screen, your neck, shoulders or back can still end up feeling particularly tense.

This is where massage can come in.

At Janthra Spa, a massage is not intended to be performed in exactly the same way for every person. Before your treatment, it is therefore helpful to tell your therapist which areas feel particularly tense. And because her expertise may allow her to identify other areas of tension herself, you can also let her know where you would prefer her not to focus too much attention.

This allows her to adapt the massage and pay particular attention to certain knots.

At a screen all day? Above all, remember to change position

Occasionally changing position will not, by itself, make up for entire days spent at a computer.

But between a properly adjusted workstation, more movement throughout the day and a massage tailored to your needs when your body calls for it, there are several ways to better manage a highly sedentary routine.

In Paris’s 6th arrondissement, our therapists are specialised in Thai massage and adapt each treatment to your preferences and the areas you would particularly like them to work on.

So tomorrow, when you sit down in front of your screen, perhaps do not try to maintain one perfect posture all day.

You can start simply by changing it.