Working from home sounds great—until your neck, shoulders, or low back start complaining. The kitchen chair becomes your office, the couch becomes your conference room, and your laptop ends up everywhere. Over time, what feels convenient for your schedule can be rough on your body.
The good news: you do not need a high-end sit–stand desk or a designer chair to protect your spine. With a few smart adjustments and better habits, you can create a home setup that supports comfort, focus, and long-term health.
This guide from Cawley Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation walks you through:
- What “good posture” really means (and what it doesn’t)
- How to set up your desk, chair, monitor, keyboard, and mouse
- How to adapt if you only have a laptop
- Simple movement breaks and stretches to reset your body
- When it’s time to get professional help for work-from-home pain
What “Good Posture” Really Means for Working from Home
Many people picture perfect posture as sitting bolt upright like a statue. In reality, healthy posture is dynamic—your body is meant to move. The key is having a starting position that keeps your joints in reasonable alignment and your muscles working efficiently, so you are not overloading any one area for hours at a time.
For most people at a computer, good sitting posture looks like this:
- Feet flat on the floor or on a stable support
- Knees at about hip height or slightly below
- Hips all the way back in the chair with the low back supported
- Shoulders relaxed, not hunched or pulled back rigidly
- Elbows near your sides, bent around 90 degrees
- Wrists in a neutral, straight position
- Head balanced over your shoulders, not jutting forward
From there, you shift and move—leaning a bit forward for short periods, reclining slightly back for others, standing up regularly. “The best posture” is really the next posture; your body prefers variety over perfection.
How Your Work-From-Home Setup Can Hurt You
Before we fix things, it helps to know how typical home setups cause trouble. Common culprits include:
- Laptop on a low table – forces you to look down, straining the neck and upper back.
- Soft couch or bed “offices” – your hips sink and your spine rounds; your shoulders creep up toward your ears.
- Chairs with poor or no back support – you slide forward, losing lumbar support and overworking your back muscles.
- Monitor off to one side – leads to constant head turning or rotation.
- Keyboard and mouse too far away – you reach forward, rounding your shoulders and loading your neck.
Over time, these patterns can lead to neck pain, headaches, shoulder impingement, low back pain, or even tingling into the arms or hands. If you work from home in Northeast Pennsylvania or anywhere else and feel worse at the end of your workday than at the beginning, your setup may need a tune-up.
Step 1: Choose and Adjust Your Chair
Your chair is the foundation of your ergonomic setup. You might not have a dedicated “office chair,” but you can still make smart choices.
What to Look for in a Chair
Ideally, your chair should:
- Allow your feet to rest flat on the floor (or a stable support)
- Provide some support for the natural curve of your lower back
- Have a seat height that puts your knees around hip level
- Offer a backrest you can lean against without slouching
If you are using a dining chair or similar, you can add:
- A small pillow or rolled towel behind your low back
- A folded blanket or cushion on the seat if it feels too hard
- A footrest (or sturdy box) if your feet dangle
How to Sit in the Chair
- Scoot your hips all the way back so your low back touches the support.
- Sit on your “sit bones,” not rolled back onto your tailbone.
- Adjust seat height so your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor.
From this solid base, it’s easier to keep your upper body aligned without extra effort.
Step 2: Set Up Your Desk and Monitor Height
Your desk or table height influences your shoulders, arms, and hands. Your monitor height affects your neck.
Desk or Table Height
Most standard desks work fine if your chair height is adjusted correctly. Key points:
- With your shoulders relaxed, your elbows should bend around 90 degrees when your hands rest on the keyboard.
- If the desk is too high and not adjustable, raise your chair and use a footrest.
- If the desk is very low, consider adding risers or using a higher surface if possible.
Monitor Position
Your eyes and neck will thank you for this one simple rule: eyes level with the top third of the screen.
- Place the monitor directly in front of you, not off to one side.
- The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level.
- The monitor should be about an arm’s length away (you can adjust based on your vision).
If you wear bifocals or progressives, you may need to adjust monitor height slightly lower so you aren’t craning your neck backward to see.
Step 3: Keyboard, Mouse, and Arm Position
Your arms and hands should be able to work without your shoulders doing all the heavy lifting.
- Keep the keyboard close enough that your elbows stay near your sides.
- Your wrists should be straight, not bent up or down.
- Place the mouse next to the keyboard at the same height to avoid reaching.
- Avoid resting your wrists heavily on a hard edge; use a soft rest or pull the keyboard slightly away from the edge if needed.
If you notice your shoulders creeping toward your ears, that is a sign something is too high, too far away, or your muscles are fatiguing and need a break.
Step 4: Making a Laptop More Ergonomic
Laptops are convenient but not ergonomic on their own. The screen is attached to the keyboard, so either your neck or your arms pay the price.
To improve this:
- Raise the laptop on a stand, stack of books, or box so the top of the screen is near eye level.
- Use an external keyboard and mouse placed at elbow height on the desk.
This simple two-step fix often makes the biggest difference in neck and shoulder comfort. If you have to work from the couch or another soft surface temporarily, try:
- Sitting on the edge so your hips don’t sink too much.
- Placing the laptop on a firm lap desk or tray.
- Limiting couch time and returning to a more supportive setup as soon as you can.
If you have already developed persistent neck or upper back pain from extended laptop use, it may be time to get a custom plan from a physical therapist instead of struggling through on your own. You can start that conversation by reaching out through the Contact Us page.
Step 5: Standing Workstations at Home
Standing desks can be helpful, but they need to be set up correctly too.
- Your elbows should still be around 90 degrees with shoulders relaxed.
- The monitor should be at the same eye-level height as when sitting.
- Your weight should be evenly distributed between both feet, not always on one side.
- Consider a cushioned mat if you are on a hard floor.
Start with short standing intervals—10 to 20 minutes—then sit for a bit. Alternating is usually better than standing all day if you are not used to it.
Movement Breaks: The Secret Ingredient
Even the best ergonomic setup won’t protect you if you never move. Your joints, muscles, and circulation all depend on regular changes in position.
A simple goal: a brief movement break every 30–60 minutes.
Examples:
- Stand up and walk around the room.
- Gently roll your shoulders and turn your head side to side.
- Do 10–15 sit-to-stands from your chair.
- March in place for 30–60 seconds.
These mini-breaks only take a minute or two, but they reset your posture, bring blood flow to tired muscles, and help your spine recover from static positions.
Easy Work-From-Home “Reset” Stretches
These general ideas are usually comfortable for many people, but always respect your pain and medical history.
Chest Opener
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
- Gently draw your shoulder blades down and back.
- Reach your arms out to the sides with palms forward, opening across the chest.
- Hold 10–20 seconds, breathing steadily.
This counteracts the rounded-shoulder position many of us fall into at computers.
Seated Neck Stretch
- Sit tall.
- Gently tilt your right ear toward your right shoulder.
- You may rest your right hand lightly on your head to deepen the stretch slightly, without pulling.
- Hold 15–20 seconds, then switch sides.
Avoid forcing any stretch. You should feel a mild pull, not sharp pain.
Seated Figure-4 Hip Stretch
- Sit near the edge of the chair with both feet flat.
- Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
- Gently lean forward from your hips until you feel a stretch in your right hip.
- Hold 20–30 seconds, then switch sides.
This helps offset tightness from prolonged sitting.
If any of these increase pain significantly or cause tingling, stop and consider getting an in-person assessment rather than guessing. A licensed therapist can evaluate your posture and movements and then build a safe, specific plan. You can schedule that by visiting the Contact Us page.
When Is it Time to See a Physical Therapist?
Some aches and stiffness are normal when you change your work routine or position. But certain patterns deserve extra attention:
- Pain that persists for weeks despite basic adjustments
- Headaches that start or worsen as the workday goes on
- Numbness, tingling, or burning in the hands, arms, or between the shoulder blades
- Pain that wakes you at night or significantly limits daily activities
- Feeling like your posture collapses as soon as you stop “trying”
A physical therapist can:
- Examine your spine, shoulders, and hips
- Identify specific muscle imbalances and joint restrictions
- Watch how you sit, stand, and move through your workday
- Teach you targeted exercises and strategies tailored to your job and home setup
This can be especially important if you live with arthritis, a prior injury, or other medical conditions that change how your body handles prolonged sitting or standing.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Best Posture for Working from Home: A Guide to an Ergonomic Setup
1. Do I really need a fancy ergonomic chair to have good posture at home?
A high-quality ergonomic chair can be helpful, but it is not absolutely required for good posture. What matters most is that your chair supports your lower back, lets your feet rest flat or on a stable support, and allows your knees and hips to be positioned comfortably. Many people successfully adapt a basic dining chair by adding a small pillow or rolled towel for lumbar support and adjusting the seat height with cushions or footrests. As long as you can sit with your hips back, your spine supported, and your shoulders relaxed—and you change positions regularly—you can achieve a work-friendly posture without investing in expensive equipment right away.
2. Is sitting all day really that bad if my posture is good?
Even with excellent posture, sitting in one position all day is not ideal for your body. Prolonged sitting reduces blood flow, increases stiffness in the hips and spine, and can contribute to muscle imbalances over time. Good posture reduces strain on your joints and muscles, but it does not eliminate the effects of being still for hours. That is why regular movement breaks are essential, even in a well-designed workspace. Standing up, walking briefly, or doing simple stretches every 30–60 minutes helps your joints and tissues reset. Think of posture and movement as partners: posture gives you a strong baseline, and movement keeps that baseline from becoming rigid and uncomfortable.
3. How high should I place my laptop if I do not have an external monitor?
If you use a laptop as your main computer, the goal is to raise the screen so the top of the display is close to eye level when you sit up tall. You can achieve this by placing the laptop on a stack of sturdy books, a box, or a simple stand. Once it is elevated, connect an external keyboard and mouse and position them on the desk so your elbows are at about 90 degrees and your shoulders stay relaxed. This reduces strain on your neck and upper back from looking down and prevents you from reaching too far forward with your arms. If you cannot get extra devices right away, try to at least prop the laptop slightly higher and take more frequent breaks.
4. Are standing desks always better than sitting at a regular desk?
Standing desks are not automatically better; they are simply another option for changing your position. Standing all day with poor alignment can create its own problems, such as foot, knee, or low back pain. The most balanced approach is often a mix of sitting and standing, alternating throughout the day. When you stand, your monitor and keyboard should still be at appropriate heights, and your weight should be evenly distributed between both feet. A cushioned mat can help if you stand on a hard surface. If you are new to standing desks, start with short intervals and build up slowly rather than trying to stand for hours immediately.
5. How can I tell if my work-from-home setup is causing my pain?
A good clue is the timing of your symptoms. If your neck, back, or shoulders feel significantly worse as the day goes on and improve on weekends or vacations, your setup and habits are likely contributing. Notice whether pain or stiffness increases during certain tasks, like prolonged typing or video calls, or in certain positions, like working from the couch. Pay attention to whether you regularly hunch forward, crane your neck toward the screen, or perch on the edge of the chair without support. If adjusting your chair, monitor, and keyboard height and adding movement breaks leads to even modest improvements, that also points toward your setup as a key factor. If symptoms persist despite these changes, it is a good idea to have a physical therapist review both your body and your workspace.