Why? Though proper and polite looking, this rather stiff, militaristic position puts increased wear and tear on the lumbar discs, which are your spine’s natural shock-absorbers, according to recent MRI research from the Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland. The researchers also found that leaning forward, as many us do when writing e-mails or playing computer games, is even more taxing to the low spine. After analyzing several sitting postures and angles, one stood out as being “back-saving.” The optimal sitting angle is more “open” with thighs and trunk at a greater than 90–degree angle in a semi-reclined position.
So does this mean you have to take your Lazy-Boy to work with you if you want a healthy back? Not quite. Instead, try this: Raise your seat to a point where your feet have light contact with the floor and allow your back to lean onto the chair’s backrest, keeping your chest up.
The researchers did find that mom was right about one thing, though: Slouching is the absolute worst sitting posture for back health.
Source: Proceedings of the Radiological Society of North America, Dec. 2006.
