People today spend on average 7 hours and 40 minutes sitting down regardless of where they are. We spend the majority of our day sitting down as we sit when we’re behind the wheel, commuting, working in an office or relaxing at home Compared to standing, sitting puts more pressure on our spine and the pressure on our discs greatly vary depending on the sitting posture. Thus, it is very important to have a good sitting posture.
Compared to standing, the line of gravity on our spine lies more forward when we’re sitting down and this makes the pelvis tilt backward. This also reverses the lumbar curve and flattens the lumbar. When the lumbar is flattened, the pressure on the facet joints decreases so the pressure on the discs increases.
The pressure on the discs reduces when you sit on a chair with a backrest. You should sit all the way back in your chair so your back and buttocks are supported. No matter how good your chair is, you’ll be in a poor posture if you’re sitting towards the front of your chair and leading forward.
Compared to standing, sitting puts 2 to 3 times more pressure on your spine. Also, sitting for long periods of time in a poor posture will eventually cause you pain, reduce your focus and even cause serious musculoskeletal disorders like herniated discs and scoliosis.
First, sit up straight, all the way back in your chair so your back and buttocks are supported by the backrest. A research showed that sitting against a backrest distributes your weight evenly across your body and relieves the stress on your buttocks. Also, sitting up straight reduces the compression on the nerves around your spine and helps you to focus better because the blood vessels and nerves connected to your brain are not compressed.
Second, stretch your spine and back muscles from time to time by tilting back the backrest. This will help your blood circulation, relax your muscles and help you better focus.
Third, do not sit towards the front of the chair and make sure the back of your knees is 2 to 3 cm in front of the very tip of the chair. Also, keeping your thighs and calves at a 90-degree will prevent your thigh from getting tense when you’re sitting for long periods of time.
Fourth, sit with both feet flat on the floor. If your feet are not flat on the floor, your weight could shift forward and this could tighten your leg muscles and reduce blood circulation in your feet by 25%.
Fifth, rest your arms which make up 10% of your weight on the armrests. Relaxing your shoulders and placing your arms on the armrests will reduce the load on your legs.
Another thing to keep in mind is the level of your eyes. Straighten your back and look ahead to maintain a good posture. But your back could slouch the more you lower your head.
When you’re reading, raise the book or use a book stand so that what you’re reading is in line with your eyes. Also, make sure the top of the computer monitor is in line with your lines and you are at least 40cm away from the monitor.
First, sit up straight, all the way back in your chair so your back and buttocks are supported by the backrest. A research showed that sitting against a backrest distributes your weight evenly across your body and relieves the stress on your buttocks. Also, sitting up straight reduces the compression on the nerves around your spine and helps you to focus better because the blood vessels and nerves connected to your brain are not compressed.
Second, stretch your spine and back muscles from time to time by tilting back the backrest. This will help your blood circulation, relax your muscles and help you better focus.
Third, do not sit towards the front of the chair and make sure the back of your knees is 2 to 3 cm in front of the very tip of the chair. Also, keeping your thighs and calves at a 90-degree will prevent your thigh from getting tense when you’re sitting for long periods of time.
Fourth, sit with both feet flat on the floor. If your feet are not flat on the floor, your weight could shift forward and this could tighten your leg muscles and reduce blood circulation in your feet by 25%.
Fifth, rest your arms which make up 10% of your weight on the armrests. Relaxing your shoulders and placing your arms on the armrests will reduce the load on your legs.
Another thing to keep in mind is the level of your eyes. Straighten your back and look ahead to maintain a good posture. But your back could slouch the more you lower your head.
When you’re reading, raise the book or use a book stand so that what you’re reading is in line with your eyes. Also, make sure the top of the computer monitor is in line with your lines and you are at least 40cm away from the monitor.
Sit up straight with your shoulders relaxed.
Your lumbar should form a natural curve even when you’re sitting. You can use a small, rolled-up towel or a lumbar support to maintain the curve. If you’re not using a lumbar support, keep the following in mind. Sit all the way back in your chair. Sit up straight and maintain your lumbar curve for few seconds. Then relax your posture (10 degrees). This is the proper sitting posture.
Distribute your weight even on both buttocks.
Bend your knees so that your knees are at the same level with your hip or slightly higher than your hip (use a footrest). Do not cross your legs.
Place your feet flat on the floor.
Do not sit for more than 30 minutes in the same posture.
At work, adjust the height of your chair and desk and sit as close as possible to your desk. Place your arms on the armrests or on the desk and relax your shoulders.
If you’re sitting on a chair that has wheels, turn your entire body instead of just turning your waist.
When you have to get up from your chair, move to the front of your chair, spread your legs and then get up. Stretch your back not by bending forward but gently bending backward 10 times.
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