How to Make Your Chair Give You Better Posture
Bad posture when sitting is one cause of spinal alignment issues. When you sit at a chair for a long period of time, such as in a work environment, you can easily get into the habit of slouching and allowing your back to roll forward. The proper way to sit is to keep your back perfectly straight with your shoulders held back and your backside pressed against the back of the chair. (see Reference 1) You can modify your chair, if necessary, to help give yourself better posture.
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Instructions
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Lift the back of the chair forward, if possible. A chair that slouches backward makes it difficult to keep good posture. Many office chairs have a back adjustment knob that allows you to move the chair backing forward and tighten it into place securely.
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2
Connect a lumbar support to the back of your chair. This is a mesh apparatus with a band that stretches over the back of the chair to keep it in place. It helps you keep your upper back straight with your shoulders back while you're sitting in the chair.
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3
Purchase a lumbar cushion. This is a small curved pillow or foam cushion that's formed to support your lower back while allowing your backside and upper back to rest comfortably against the back of the chair. Keep your lumbar support pushed up against the back of your chair so that every time you sit down, it's positioned on your lower back. You can use this in concert with the lumbar support to achieve optimal posture when sitting.
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Tips & Warnings
You can also simply use a rolled up towel instead of the lumbar cushion---roll it up tightly and secure it closed with duct tape.
Some lumbar cushions come equipped with a massaging device to help loosen your back muscles as you sit and work.
References
- Photo Credit office chair image by Goran Bogicevic from Fotolia.com
