by Shaul Lent
A client recently told me that she sits on the edge of her seat to strengthen her core. Is she correct?
Sitting on the edge of a seat can strengthen your core muscles. In fact, sitting anywhere without using a backrest (i.e. a yoga ball, the side of your bed) can strengthen your core.
However, sitting on the edge of your seat without your back supported places stress on your back and core muscles, resulting in fatigue, reduced productivity, and a tendency to awkwardly bend foreword.
Should You Try to Strengthen Your Core in Sitting?
Rarely. While sitting in front of a computer you should rarely sit on the edge of your seat to strengthen your core. Employees are focused on their tasks at a computer and tend to overlook the stretching basics.
They ignore the time spent in a stretched position and proper posture. You should stretch your core during work breaks, at the gym, or in a Pilates class.
However, do this away from your chair. In general, do not strengthen your core while sitting at the computer; leave the stretching for other times.
How Should We Sit?
Rather than sitting on the edge of a seat, you should keep your back flush against the chair’s backrest most of the time. The backrest was made to support your lumbar and give your back muscles a break. As long as it’s done in moderation, sitting with your lower back flush against a backrest is a good thing.
While flush against the backrest, try to alternate the backrest angle between 90 (upright) and 110 degrees (slightly reclined). You will need to check and see if you can adjust the backrest angle on your chair. If your chair does not come with this feature, you should look into investing in a chair that does or alternate between different lumbar supports.
Additionally, you should adjust the height and angle of your monitor when adjusting the back angle. When slightly reclined at a 110-degree angle you should raise the monitor higher and tilt the top of the monitor forward. When in the more upright 90 degree back angle the top of the monitor should be at about eye level and more upright. In my experience, employees who alternate between a 90 and 110-degree back angle can improve comfort, productivity, and reduce monotonous sitting.
What about a Standing Desk (AKA Am I Really Supposed to Sit the Whole Day)?
Standing desks are great and will also help with limiting monotonous sitting. However, standing desks are not for everyone. You will want to see what works for you and what allows you to alternate positions regularly throughout the day.
If that means using a standing desk to stand for 20 minutes every hour, great! If that means transitioning between the 90-110 degree reclined angle, even better! Try to find the right routine for you that will allow you to implement regular posture changes.
How Can I Avoid Bending at the Back?
We should try to get in the habit of alternating between the 90 and 110 back angle while flush against the backrest. It might take a few weeks of practice. However, consistently alternating your back posture between 90 and 110 degrees reduces the stress placed on your joints.
Conclusion
Individuals tend to lean forward and sit at the edge of their chairs. Engrossed on the Internet or a work task, people overlook proper back posture.
For those who sit at their computer for more than 2 hours a day, I would advise keeping your back flush against the chair and train yourself to alternate between a 90 and 110-degree back angle. Between these angles, employees can alternate between proper back postures even during strenuous work hours.
You should rarely, if ever, sit on the edge of your seat to strengthen your core. Remember: keep moving, alternate positions, and when sitting keep you back flush against the backrest.
(Shaul Lent is the Lead Ergonomic Specialist at Ergonomics Advance. He provides individual ergonomic assessments for employees reporting discomfort at their computer workstation. An innovative Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist and Occupational Therapist trained at the University of Southern California, Shaul takes pride in his attention to detail when recommending ergonomic products, developing injury prevention plans, and designing ergonomically sound workstations. His unique talent to promote health and wellness in the workplace is recognized by customers and colleagues alike. For more information about ergonomics and back posture, please visit his website https://ergonomicsadvance.com/)
I have always been one to sit at the edge. I would change.
Thanks Emmanuel for the read. Yes, I definitely advise staying away from the edge of the chair. Let me know if I could answer any questions.
This is the most necessary information in today’s time, as we all need to sit for a long for our office work and due to this people are facing major problems. I completely agreed that a small change can make a huge difference.
Thank you so much for sharing this.