Why posture matters

Prolonged sitting with poor posture can contribute to back pain, neck strain, and fatigue. Regular postural awareness reminders can help you correct your position before discomfort develops.

How the detection works

The tool captures a low-resolution greyscale snapshot at your chosen interval and compares it to your baseline using mean absolute pixel difference. Significant changes indicate you may have moved, slouched, or shifted position.

Privacy

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Ergonomic setup guide

The neutral seated posture checklist for desk work:

Monitor: top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, arm’s length (45–60 cm) away.
Keyboard and mouse: elbows at approximately 90°, wrists straight and relaxed (not bent upward).
Chair: back supported with a slight lumbar curve, feet flat on the floor or a footrest.
Hips: thighs roughly parallel to the floor, seat pan not pressing into the backs of the knees.

Scientific context

A 2014 study by Dr. Kenneth Hansraj (Surgical Technology International) estimated the compressive force on the cervical spine at various head flexion angles: a neutral upright head exerts ~10–12 lbs of force; flexing forward 60° (typical smartphone use) increases that to approximately 60 lbs. Prolonged “tech neck” posture accelerates cervical disc degeneration, making regular posture checks increasingly important as screen time grows.

Desk stretching routine

Perform these when the reminder fires (takes 2–3 minutes):

Neck rolls: slowly roll your head in a half-circle, ear to chest to ear. 3 reps each side.
Shoulder shrugs: raise both shoulders to your ears, hold 2 seconds, release. 5 reps.
Chest opener: clasp hands behind your back, gently draw shoulders together, hold 10 seconds.
Seated spinal twist: sit upright, rotate torso to the right using the chair back as a support, hold 15 seconds, repeat left.