The correct sitting posture to prevent back and neck pain

In 2019, scientists sat down to study the relationship between back pain and sitting behavior. An eye-opening discovery emboldened both researchers and participants to sit up straight and move around more.

Basics first: Stop slouching!

We know it’s super tantalizing but resist the monster. It will lure you into its mold and leave you wishing you had listened to your mom and teachers.

Slouching is a slow killer, like a boa constrictor. Over time, it leads to a reduction in spinal disk height in the lower spine. This pressure on disks is what moves many people to look for “back pain relief” months and years later.

Aside from the multiple wear-and-tear effects on the body, turning into a human candy cane hurts your health in general. It leads to damaged circulation, back problems, poor lung function, issues with digestion, constricted nerves, and even headaches and jaw pain. Source

Eliminate slouching and you’ll eliminate your worst aftermath.

Tips for a perfect sitting posture

Perfect sitting posture at work illustration

The problem of improper sitting is multilayered, and curving your spine is just the tip of the iceberg.

Consider your feet, knees, and hips (lower body) and your back/shoulders, neck, and forearms/elbows (upper body) as hot zones that need correction. When you sit down, you want each of those areas aligned at right angles to ensure a good posture.

So, next time you sit down in front of the screen, make sure you:

Let your butt touch the back of your chair
Keep your back straight and your shoulders back
Rest your knees, hips, ankles, and elbows at a 90°-110° angle
Keep your feet flat on the floor
Ensure support for the lower and upper back
Keep forearms supported and horizontal to the ground
Align your head with a spine (avoid dork's neck)
Place monitor at arm's length from your eyes
Level your eyes slightly below the top of the monitor

A perfect sitting position is not enough

Every rose has a thorn. The perfect sitting position is the same.

Even if you are sitting like a handbook model, you are still spending time motionless. A study of sedentary workers found that most people prone to back pain stayed static for far too long - a lot longer than their pain-free counterparts.

So, to avoid frowning in pain, switch things up! Get up, move, and stretch or work your lower back. Even better, engage in exercises that provide neck pain relief. Ultimately, to keep most of the issues at bay, integrate these moves and jiggles into your daily routine. It will literally save your life.

Remember - the biggest issue with sitting is… sitting. No matter how close to perfect you get, you are still sitting.

Move now, move more often, and thank us later.

Need more? Stay in your explorative zone!