This article was taken from the October 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Are you sitting comfortably? The chances are that unless you're in a posture-obsessed office, you won't have been given anything great to sit on. But you can improve your comfort and reduce potential for back pain with a few simple tips, as Jack Callaghan, professor in kinesiology at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, suggests.
Don't get a ball
In recent years it has become fashionable to sit on an inflatable exercise ball instead of a chair. The claim is that they build core strength and reduce slouching, but Callaghan ran a study and found them wanting. "There was no benefit from potential pain-altering behaviour in the muscle-recruitment patterns, nor were there any health benefits," he says. "The ball alone is not something that in and of itself induces a long-term change in posture."
Sit down, stand up
"Chairs need to facilitate motion," says Callaghan. "The discs in our spine are largely avascular -- there's no blood supply -- so they rely on osmotic exchange to provide nutrients and remove waste. This is facilitated by motion and impeded by static positions." So consider standing while working -- but not for too long. "Evidence seems to be pointing towards a ratio of 1:3 or 1:2, of standing time to sitting. To completely change from sitting to standing might well result in pain."
Add support
"Two areas to focus on are the lumbar support and the pelvic tilt," says Callaghan. Many of us put a cushion in the small of our back to add support, but it should actually be placed lower. "The pelvis position can be altered in two ways," he continues. "The first is by focal pressure: pushing on the pelvis at about the level of the two bony prominences situated above the seat pan. The second is by opening the hip angle; 135° of the thigh to the trunk is a balanced position."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
