Posture Part 3: Optimizing Sitting

Finally concluding the Posture Series with most likely the most important of all, sitting!

Parts I and II here for lying and standing, respectively.

Poor sitting posture may lead to conditions like

• shoulder impingement
• neck pain and headaches
• lower back pain
• TMD or jaw and facial pain

Here are some simple ways to correct sitting posture

1) Using the McKenzie Lumbar Roll

• Improving the inward curvature or lordosis in your lumbar spine straightens out the mid back, elevates your sternum and helps bring the scapula in a down and back, or set position
• pull your shoulders down and back, then relax about 10%
• this relaxes your upper traps and helps bring the head and neck over the shoulders
• this position takes pressure off of 
• lower back muscles, joints, and discs
• mid back shoulder blade and spinal muscles and joints
• upper traps, often reducing tender points that may refer to the head/neck
• You still may require a slight chin tuck to bring the head back over the neck and shoulders for optimal static posture
• this is the preferred static posture because it is passive, not using muscles directly to hold yourself upright, which most cannot do without a lot of practice

2) Unsupported Static Sitting

• sit on the end of your chair
• have one leg forward and the other leg back
• hinge at your hips and accept weight on the front leg, while keeping your sternum upright
• change legs every 5-10 minutes

3) Do not sit statically for more than 20-30 minutes

• no pain does not mean no problem
• get up and perform backward bends at your lower back and chin tucks at your neck
• break up prolonged sitting with any activity, like getting a glass of water
• alternate between positions 1 and 2 or supported and unsupported

You may do position 1 for the longest because it is supported, but you should still not sit for long periods to avoid stress and strain on various structures in your body.