How To Sit Properly
Your sitting posture is important for the health of your entire body. If you are not sitting in the correct way, it can put too much stress on your postural muscles, and it can also have a significant effect on a wide range of joints throughout the body.
Most people understand that posture is important, but they do not understand the negative consequences of sitting the wrong way. An improper sitting posture is actually one of the most common contributing factors when it comes to issues associated with misalignments to the musculoskeletal system. On its own, sitting the wrong way can cause issues with pain and disability, and if you already have problems with your back or joints, it can make them worse. To help people avoid the issues with incorrect sitting posture, we are going to look at some things you can do to make sure you sit properly.
Your Sitting Position Checklist
There is no one single thing you can do to make sure you are sitting the right way. Instead, you want to cover several points to make sure your entire body is in the correct sitting position. The following are the points you want to cover when learning how to sit properly.
- Distribute your weight evenly. Do not sit leaning to one side, and if you have a wallet, take it out of your back pocket while you sit.
- Make sure to place your feet flat on the ground. For women who wear heeled shoes, it might help to switch to a flat shoe for long periods of sitting.
- You want to keep your knees bent at right angles and even with your hips. If your legs are a little short, using a footstool can help.
- Sit all the way in your chair with your low back against the backrest. Once in the chair, keep your back straight and don’t lean forward with your shoulders.
- Try not to sit in the same position for a long time. If you can, it will help to take a break from sitting every half hour.
- Working at a Desk
If you work sitting at a desk all day, you are at a greater risk for the issues that are associated with sitting in an improper position. To protect against these problems, you should follow all of the above-mentioned tips, but there is more you can do.
The first point is that you should get a comfortable chair that is easily adjustable. Every day when you sit down, make sure the chair is adjusted to keep your body in the proper sitting position.
Beyond that, you should try to design your workspace to promote staying in the correct sitting posture. As an example, if you work with a computer all day, you want to set the keyboard and mouse up in a way that allows you to use them in a stress-free position. This means keeping your keyboard at a position that allows you to work with your elbows bent at or close to a 90-degree angle. You should also keep your computer screen at a comfortable viewing height.
If you are having low back pain issues associated with sitting the wrong way, a chiropractor can help. Chiropractic care can be a good way to restore the proper alignment to the spine and other joints, and your chiropractor can also provide practical advice for correcting your sitting posture.