“Sit up straight! “You don’t want to end up like the Hunchback of Notre Dame,” is a popular saying that is frequently uttered at kids who begin to slump at the school desk or dinner table.
But really, is sitting upright better for our backs and our ability to keep proper posture?
It is not a fact
Even if our parents or other elders may tell us that the ideal way to sit is to keep your thighs parallel to the floor, research has shown that this posture puts more strain on your lower back’s lumbar discs.
Researchers from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland examined 22 volunteers in 2006 who were seated in three different positions:
• Slouching: Bringing your feet up to the floor while hunching forward.
• Upright: With feet flat on the ground and at a 90-degree angle.
• Calm: Lying on back at an angle of 135 degrees, feet flat on the ground.
The most amount of spinal disc movement occurred during the first two sitting positions—hunching forward and sitting upright—which led to an internal disc material misalignment. But the least amount of tension was produced by the third position.
We should try to take better care of our backs and be mindful of our posture. It’s also critical to keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all definition of proper posture.
Prolonged stiff, tight, or unpleasant postures can cause discomfort and even damage to the spine, so try to avoid them.
