Sitting With Ease

You might have heard that "sitting is the new smoking." Sure, yes, sitting all day long at work, then sitting in your car, sitting at the table for dinner and sitting on the couch until bed isn't going to make your body happy at all. But the reality is we are going to have to sit at some point, so might as well find a way to sit that is at least more supportive and sustainable.

Remember though, even sitting in a better position still doesn't negate your body's need for movement. If you do have a desk job, set a timer for every 30 mins and get up and do a little walk or stretch. This combined with a more supportive posture while sitting can make a big difference overall.

How to:

This simple sitting adjustment is what I give to my clients who have low back issues, neck and shoulders issues and who have to work at a desk for the majority of the day. So simple and makes such a big difference immediately.

Does this picture look familiar? For many of us, this is our default sitting position. Sitting like this tucks your pelvis, can put strain onto your low back and encourages your shoulders to round forward. Not so much fun.

Moving to the front edge of the chair will allow you to tilt your pelvis and get more onto your sit bones. When you sit on your sit bones, you are gaining more stability and structural support for your spine. Notice the lumbar curve appearing in her low back?

To make sitting even more easy and supportive is to sit at the front of the chair as in the photo above, but adding something underneath your sit bones for more lift and support.

We used a rolled up towel and it made all the difference. Her lumbar curve is looking great, there is more space in her hip joints and she is able to sit up with very little effort. 

Adding the rolled up towel or cushion while sitting at the front of your chair is such a simple and effective solution. You are not fighting your body to have "good posture" while sitting. By lifting the pelvis on the towel or cushion you will instantly find more ease in your low back, spine, neck and shoulders. Try it out today at work, in the car, and you will see what a difference it makes.