It’s not your fault. Modern chairs are designed to be comfortable—oversized and soft, kind of like us, right? Unfortunately, comfy chairs are terrible for posture. Most chairs are too soft and too deep to maintain a healthy position for your spine. Here’s how you can sit with better posture no matter where you are.
If you’re trying to correct a lifetime of slouching, better posture can feel downright uncomfortable. When you sit, your shoulders should be back. We tend to carry our tension in our shoulders, and they often migrate up or forward.
Your head should be held high, as if an invisible balloon was holding it up. You definitely shouldn’t be looking down at your phone screen!
Make sure that your weight is distributed evenly on both hips. Many of us lean on one side or another, subtly putting our entire bodies out of whack. You can end up creating painful sore points throughout your hips, shoulders, back, and neck when you don’t sit in a balanced way.
You might think that your legs should be bent at a perfect 90-degree angles, but that’s not actually true. Your knees should be below your hips, with about a 120-degree angle between leg and torso. Sit with one foot slightly ahead of the other, and remain aware of any pressure points that feel uncomfortable as you sit.
Modern chairs and couches tend to be very deep. So deep, in fact, that it’s almost impossible to sit on them with correct posture. If you try to sit with your back against the backrest, your feet will be in the wrong spot. And if you put your feet on the floor, your spine will naturally slump. It’s best to sit closer to the edge of the chair so that your feet can be on the floor.
If a chair is too soft, your rear end will sink into it, messing up the alignment of your spine, hips, and legs. To counteract this, create a wedge or prop to sit on. You can use a rolled-up towel or yoga mat, a folded sweater, or anything else that will provide a firm surface to sit on. You can also purchase a specialized wedge made from high-density foam.
Desk chairs and car seats tend to force your body into a slouched position. Unfortunately, you can’t sit on the edge of these chairs without being unsafe. The best way to deal with molded seats is to build up the back so that you’re forced into a better posture position. Grabbing a similar prop to what you’d use to make a wedge, place it at your mid back. Note that you don’t want to go too low and force your lower spine forward.
