Good Posture Through Correct Sitting

We never spent so much time in a seating position as we do today. We are living and working in a society where we spend, for the majority of us, more than 11 hours in a chair or on the couch. From the dining table to the car, from the office chair to the living room couch, we go through the day from one seated position to another.

To be seated for all these hours is hard on the body’s structure. If the seated position gives relief to your feet, it increases the pressure on your back. In fact, the load on the spine is up to 50% superior in a seated position compared to a standing one. With as little of 4 hours of seating per day, your seating position can affect the health and comfort of your neck, shoulders and back. This is why it is essential to learn to seat in the healthiest and less tiresome way for your body.

Here is a simple adjustments you can make to significantly improve the way you seat.

Your pelvis can support your body with ease when your lower back is slightly arched. In this position, the body’s weight is efficiently carried by the pelvic sitting bones (if you seat on your hands you can feel these bony protrusions). When you are seating with the lower back slightly arched and the weight on your sitting bones, the back is relaxed and flexible, able to bend, tilt and turn with little muscular effort. When we round the lower back and neck we lose the proper support from the pelvis. This position may feel comfortable at first but it strains the body. The low back and neck will eventually suffer from this improper seating. Keeping a slight curve in the low back will allow you to keep your mobility and to prevent the aches and pain associated with long sitting.

Making this adjustments will help your body endure the seating position with more ease. That will prevent the usual back and neck tightness, the tight shoulders, and the feeling of being stuck in our chairs.