"Sitting with legs apart" is an unsightly sitting posture that is often criticized by everyone. But some time ago, there was a popular saying on the Internet: Sitting with legs spread is the healthiest sitting posture, because it can better maintain a neutral spine. Does this statement make sense? What is the correct way to sit?
A random photo taken on the subway one day. Image source: Editorial photo
There is only one key to correct sitting posture
Let’s do a test first~
Please choose the sitting posture in the picture below that you think is correct:
Image source: Reference [1]
The above image is from a study "Physical Therapists' Perceptions of Optimal Sitting and Standing Postures."
This review surveyed 544 Greek physiotherapists to examine their views on optimal standing and sitting postures and how they describe and quantify postural characteristics and optimal postures.
97.5% of physical therapists chose postures 2, 4, and 5. Among them, nearly half (41.4%) chose posture 2 - the lumbar spine is in lordosis, the thoracic spine is in slight kyphosis, the pelvis, head and shoulders are in a straight line, and the chin is moderately retracted. This posture is consistent with the physiological curvature of the human spine.
In fact, the key to correct sitting posture is mainly to keep the spine perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and has little to do with whether the legs are crossed or not. This position will not put too much pressure on the spine and prevent the spine from being in an abnormal arc due to excessive pressure.
4 steps to find a healthy sitting posture
1. Find the ischium
Touch your butt and find two hard bones. These are our ischial tuberosities, which are the main places where the force is received when sitting, and can transmit gravity downward. Thin people can easily feel it, while people with a lot of meat can sit down and feel the pressure of the two bones. The force on both sides should be consistent and not biased to one side.
2. Determine the position of the hip and knee joints
The knee and hip joints should be at a 90-degree angle, and the feet should be flat on the ground. The angle at which your legs should be spread apart should vary depending on your body type. Remember not to buckle too much in, not to lean too far out, and it is best to keep your feet the same width as your shoulders.
3. Maintain the curve of the spine
Remember the directions of the four curves of the human spine in the picture. Feel it for yourself, keep your upper body upright, push your waist forward as much as possible, convex your chest slightly, raise your head but retract your chin slightly. Adjust the position of the computer screen according to the direction of your gaze to avoid bad movements such as leaning forward or lowering your head.
4. Finally, check whether the head, shoulders, and hips are on a vertical line
Ideally, your ears should be aligned with your shoulders. Sink your shoulders and keep your head, shoulders, and hips in a vertical line. This will help eliminate the tightness in your shoulders and relieve shoulder and back pain caused by sitting for a long time.
It takes time to adjust your posture slowly to get the correct sitting posture. It may not be 100% correct now, but if this article can attract everyone's attention, avoid incorrect sitting postures, and achieve the correct sitting posture as much as possible, our goal will be achieved~
Don’t make these mistakes in sitting posture again
1. Cross your legs
Crossing the legs will tilt the pelvis and cause uneven pressure on the lumbar spine, which may lead to scoliosis over time. Long-term compression of blood vessels can lead to blood circulation disorders, varicose veins in the lower limbs, or vascular embolism. Prolonged pressure on the medial compartment of the knee joint can lead to cartilage damage and increase the risk of osteoarthritis.
2. Sit with your waist suspended in the air
This posture of "slumping" on the chair looks very relaxing, but in fact it is more harmful. The waist is hanging in the air and thoracolumbar kyphosis will increase the load on the waist, causing damage to the posterior waist muscles and even lumbar disc herniation. In addition, the main focus of this posture is on the sacrococcygeal area (that is, the base of the tail), which is prone to pain in the sacrococcygeal area.
3. Sit leaning forward
When the body leans forward and sits, the muscles in the lower back will pull the trunk hard like a tightened bowstring. Long-term and continuous contraction and force will cause pain and spasm in the waist muscles.
4. "Ge You lies down"
Are there very few people who have never done "Ge You Lie"? However, the harm this comfortable movement brings to our bodies cannot be underestimated.
The reason why this movement feels comfortable is that the muscles of the waist and neck are not used to exert force. The back is suspended in the air. In this posture, the spine is in an unbalanced state. The entire body sinks and the central axis moves backward, which can easily lead to cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation and even spinal deformity.
5. Keep your head up and your chest up
This posture may surprise many people. What we think of as the correct sitting posture since childhood may not actually be that scientific. Because our thoracic spine is physiologically convex backward, if the chest is raised too much, the normal physiological curvature will be reduced.
Finally, I would like to remind everyone that no matter whether the sitting posture is correct or not, sitting for a long time is useless. It is recommended that everyone should stand and move for 5-10 minutes every hour of sitting.
References
1. Vasileios Korakakisa, Kieran O'Sullivanb, Peter B. O'Sullivane, et al. Physiotherapistperceptionsofoptimalsittingandstandingposture.MusculoskeletSciPract.2019:39:24-31.
Planning and production
Author丨Ji Gang, Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Hebei Medical University
Review丨Tang Qin, Chief Researcher of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association
Planning丨Yang Yaping
Editor丨Yang Yaping