To maintain a healthy spine, it’s crucial to have proper sitting posture. Incorrect postures, such as hunching or sitting in a half-reclined position, can damage the spine, leading to pain in the shoulders, neck, and lower back. When it comes to pain-inducing ways to sit, hunching is one of the worst offenders.
1. Hunching
Hunching is widely regarded as the worst sitting posture. Many people, especially office workers who spend long hours at the computer, tend to hunch while sitting. One possible explanation is that their keyboard is placed too far away, making it difficult to sit up straight. As a result, they often end up sitting with a hunched back and a raised head.Prolonged hunching while sitting can lead to the following symptoms:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Dry eyes
- Stiff and sore neck and shoulders
- Pain in the middle of the scapula
- Cervical degeneration and bone spurs
- Chest tightness
- Stomach pain
- Indigestion
- Fasciitis
- Memory decline
Prolonged spinal curvature and tension in the fascia of the upper body can also cause tension-type headaches and chest discomfort. Hunching the back and leaning the head forward can also cause severe compression on the cervical spine and lead to cervical degeneration.
The top three worst sitting postures: hunching, sitting in a half-reclined position, and leaning to the left or right while sitting. The Epoch Times
2. Half-Reclined
When sitting on a chair with a backrest, it’s common for people to relax and lean back lazily, leaving a significant gap between their lower back and the chair. This posture is known as the half-reclined sitting position and is particularly common when sitting on a deep couch or in bed.This posture can cause damage to the intervertebral discs, leading to problems in the lower body. The compressed intervertebral discs are like donuts with filling, with one end pinched and the other on the verge of bursting.
3. Leaning to the Left or Right
Leaning on the armrest of a sofa or chair or leaning the entire body against the side of the armrest and tilting to one side while sitting can cause bodily imbalances and symptoms that are more likely to appear on one side of the body, such as in the shoulder, waist, or hip.Common conditions such as limb-length discrepancy, uneven shoulders, scoliosis, and pelvic tilt are closely linked to this incorrect and unbalanced sitting posture. Over time, it can even affect the functioning of internal organs.
How to Sit Correctly in 3 Simple Steps
Prolonged sitting can be just as harmful as smoking. However, unlike in the past, when physical labor was common, prolonged sitting has become a way of life for many today. Therefore, it’s even more crucial to have proper sitting posture.There are three steps to a healthy sitting posture:
Step one to proper sitting posture: Extend your body as if you're being measured for height, and sit up straight. The Epoch Times
Step 1: Sit up straight. Your spine should maintain its natural curve. Take a deep breath, and you will notice how much easier it is to breathe. If you hunch over, your breathing will be restricted. On the other hand, sitting up too straight and tensing up can also restrict your breathing, which is also incorrect. Next, lengthen your spine as if you’re being measured for height.
Good breathing is a crucial aspect of sitting up straight, and it’s also an important indicator of proper posture.
Step two to proper sitting posture: Sit all the way back in your chair. The Epoch Times
Step 2: Sit all the way back in your chair. Lift your hips and tuck them in all the way to the back of the chair.
Step three to proper sitting posture: Once again, imagine yourself being measured for height, extend your body and lean back against the backrest of the chair. Then, relax your body. The Epoch Times
Step 3: Once again, imagine yourself being measured for height, lengthen your spine, and lean back against the backrest of the chair. Then, relax your body. The same applies when sitting in an office chair or on a couch at home; don’t first lean against the backrest, as this can easily lead to incorrect sitting posture.
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