Ergonomic sitting is a comfortable position to use, when you are sitting doing purposeful activity in an ergonomic chair. You actually don't need an ergonomic chair for sitting in comfort, but they are useful for providing the sitting support that you need when sitting on your pelvic bones in prolonged sitting.

Ergonomic sitting will help your back remain relaxed, while you concentrate on performing the task at hand in a safe and comfortable position. I call this position ergonomic sitting, because it has helped me overcome my back pain from scoliosis that originates from one leg being longer than the other by 2.1/2 centimeters.

Ergonomic sitting is when you lean back so that you're are sitting on your pelvic bones and can lift you each leg off the ground, without losing your balance. It means that all your skeletal weight is positioned directly in your spine leading to your pelvic bones, so that your spine is vertically aligned. There is no muscle tension required, because your spine is locked securely on top of each other.

I have learned to use this position quite by accident, when I took up cycling, as a way to help me lose weight. Cycling has done more than help me lose weight, because it has taught me that sitting on my pelvic bones, is a safe way to perform productive activities safely, without any discomfort in sitting.

Through sitting on my pelvic bones, I have corrected the scoliosis in my spine, even though I still have one leg longer than the other. It has taught me that by keeping my back vertically erect, I am able to sustain the vertical alignment for walking. This is important, because I have removed the abnormal curve, which in turn removes the weak point in my spine.

This was never planned, as I only learned about erasing the scoliosis 2 years ago, when I had to visit a chiropractor during the winter of 2008-09. We in Vancouver, Canada suffered an unusual winter with so much snow. Normally it only rains and the city had no way of clearing the snow, so I had to walk everywhere instead of cycle.

One day, I slipped and wrenched my back, so I had to visit a chiropractor. The chiropractor informed me that there was no scoliosis in my spine, even though he could see the imbalance in my pelvis bones. He told me "Whatever you are doing, keep it up; as you are doing the right for thing for keeping your spine straight!"

Now I am not expecting you all to go out and immediately take up cycling. It is a choice that I have made to cycle to keep me slim and fit, because I love being out in the open air and exercising my legs. I had not idea that it was going to be of enormous health benefits to my back.

My leg length discrepancy will never be eliminated. But I know that if there is any stress on my back; all I need do is get on my bike for a nice long bike ride and the vibrations going through my spine from cycling will dislodge any impingement in the nerves on my spine.

Author's Bio: 

The author, Gail McGonigal is a qualified Occupational Therapist, who has overcome postural scoliosis in her spine, by accidentally taking up cycling as a recreational hobby. Gail understands the pain and functional limitations associated with back pain. She has found that by ergonomic sitting on a bicycle has relieved all her symptoms of sciatic pain in her back.

Gail has a company called Active Living Solutions Ltd: http://www.activelivingsolutions.net initially selling ergonomic seating for people with back problems, for enabling them to be safe in an ergonomic chair.

Gail is writing about ergonomic chairs and their parts, so that people, particularly the Big, Tall & Wide will receive the help they need, for overcoming their skeletal discomforts: http://www.activelivingsolutions.net/big-and-tall-chairs.html

Gail is offering a free "Therapeutic Active Living Plan" with purchase of one of her chairs that will help them overcome their discomforts, become active and lose weight for an improved quality of life.