Office chairs and your posture April 01 2014
Sitting Posture and Your Health
Do you know the importance of good sitting posture? It contributes to increased energy, stamina, better breathing, improved blood circulation, greater confidence, improves your overall health and last but not least appears to make you look both slimmer and taller.
As depicted in the above image, your shoulders must be down and back and your head must not lean forward but should be inline with the body instead.
Benefits of good posture:
- Helps keep bones and joints in correct alignment so that muscles can function correctly.
- Reduces abnormal wear and tear in joint surfaces that could lead to arthritis.
- Reduces stress on ligaments that holds the joints of the spine together.
- Helps the spine to be more flexible in abnormal positions.
- Prevents fatigue as muscles are utilized more efficiently.
- Prevents backaches, muscle spasms and headaches.
- Makes you look strong and confident!
Good sitting posture:
- Try to always sit upright as much as possible, whilst also ensuring that your shoulders are down and back and that your buttocks are seated all the way to the back of the office chair. The back of your pelvis must be against the back of the chair for better support. It is when the pelvis slouches backwards that people start experiencing more back pain due to hanging off joints, ligaments, and tendons.
- Make sure you sit right back in the chair if you use a back support. Push your buttocks into the junction and upright back portion of the office chair. This way the back support of the office chair will help maintain a natural relaxed lumbar curve of the spine. If you don't have a back support try using a small pillow. Get right back into the office chair and then position the pillow in the small of your back to ensure efficient maintainance of your lumbar curve.
- Try to keep your body weight evenly distributed on both feet. Try not crossing your legs as that rotates the pelvis backwards on the side that you are crossing toward causing you to hang off ligaments and tendons.
- Your knees should be bent at an angle approximately at the level of the hips. Using a small foot rest under your feet makes it easier to achieve the correct position as your feet should be flat on the floor as much as possible.