If you’re looking to improve your posture, taking a look around can be just as important as straightening up. Little things, especially at work, can affect posture in big ways, from the height of your monitor to how you place your hands on the keyboard and whether that keyboard is at a good height. Many posture mistakes come down to ergonomics.

It’s important to arrange your workspace and equipment in a way that enables a neutral position, says Alan Hedge, professor of ergonomics at Cornell University.

“With computer use, you can have somewhere between 30% and 50% of people who have frequent discomfort and pain because of the postures they are working in,” Hedge says.

“With phone use, you see again 30% to 40% of people who intensively use a phone for texting, emails and web surfing report similar discomfort and pain.

“A lot of people are in pain because how they are working ultimately leads to a lot of injuries. It’s a multimillion-dollar problem that can be solved by ensuring people work in neutral postures.”

People often twist their bodies into deviated positions, hunching over tablets, laptops and phones, Hedge says.

While sitting at a computer, the neck is often bent, which can lead to neck and shoulder pain, and headaches.

Incorrect hand positioning can cause disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Leaning forward strains the lower back and puts compressive force on blood vessels, affects blood circulation to the feet and increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis, which can lead to pulmonary embolism.

Being hunched over also reduces lung volume, which affects how much oxygen is in your blood. Bad posture can even affect your mood, as well, Hedge says.

Cell phone or tablet use can cause “text neck” or “iPad neck,” he says. When sitting and reading a cell phone, book or tablet, you should raise the screen up rather than bend your neck down.

“The head weight is like a 10-pound bowling ball sitting on top of the spine,” he says. “When you lean forward, those muscles (at the back of the neck) have to work extra hard to keep your head from flopping down on the ground.”

The early signs of “text neck” include neck pain, shoulder pain and headaches, Hedge says. Over time, that bad neck posture could escalate from neck pain to more serious nerve compression problem.

If you’re not sure where you need to make posture fixes, Hedge recommends having a friend photograph you sitting, standing or working, to see what to change.

If using a laptop, elevate it and use

an external keyboard and mouse. Height-adjustable keyboard systems can also be helpful.

If using a tablet, use a holder and put it on your desk or table, he says.

Obesity can also cause posture problems, because obese individuals often push their shoulders forward and place their elbows out to the side to reach the keyboard. In those cases, a split keyboard can help.

Another common mistake affecting posture, especially for women, is sitting in a chair that’s too big, says Paul Krewson, occupational therapist, ergonomist and president of Peak Ergonomics in Columbia, Mo.

Height-adjustable workstations are great tools in general because they help people change positions.

But even with perfect posture, prolonged sitting is harmful, he says.

“The bottom line is you want to organize your work day so you aren’t sitting at your computer all day long,” Krewson says.

“For every hour you are working, you need at least 10 minutes out of the chair.”