How to sit correctly and what to do if it does not work

Your position at your desk is of paramount importance to your posture and overall health. By sitting for 6-8 hours five days a week, you form the habit of keeping your body in a certain way. This habit determines your posture not only at your desk, but also in any other place: while driving, in training, while walking, even while sleeping. And if the position you are accustomed to is not physiological, sooner or later it will cause problems with the spine.

Perhaps as you read this, you straightened your back and decided to now always sit up straight. This is great, but it won't last long. At first it seems that keeping your back straight is easy and even pleasant, but after a minute or two, the lower back begins to ache, so you will very soon assume your normal position.

Why is it so hard to keep your back

When you hold a certain position for a long time, your body gets used to it. The brain begins to perceive it as natural and comfortable. This is the main difficulty.

Once your brain has learned how to do something in a certain way, it can be difficult to retrain.

The habit of writing with one hand is a good example. Try shifting the handle to your non-dominant hand and you will feel awkward as a child.

However, albeit with difficulty, our brain is still able to retrain and assimilate new habits. Practice will help you develop a habit of positioning yourself and say goodbye to pain and stiffness after a day at work. And the first thing to pay attention to is the position of your pelvis in the chair.

Correct pelvic position is the basis of good posture

The position of the pelvis on the chair is of decisive importance for the entire posture as a whole. Your pelvis and spine are like a pile of bricks stacked on top of each other. If you put the bottom brick crookedly, all the rest will be skewed.

To position the pelvis correctly, you first need to find the ischial tubercles. These are two bony protrusions in the lower part of the pelvis.

To find them, sit on a hard surface, place your hands under your buttocks and lower your body weight on them. You will feel how the ischial tubercles press on your hands.

The main rule of good posture is to sit on the ischial tubercles. Most people sit so that their body is located either behind the ischial tubercles or in front of them.

How to position the pelvis correctly

First of all, you need to feel the correct position of the pelvis. To do this, sit on the edge of a chair, place your feet on the floor, knee angle should be 90 degrees. This is the correct position of the legs.

First, arch your back in an arc and hold for a couple of seconds, then arch your back, pushing your chest forward and creating excessive arch in the lower back. After that, take the middle position.

If the position is correct, it feels as comfortable as possible (first minute). The weight is located on the ischial tuberosities, the back is straight, but with the preservation of the physiological curves of the spine.

So, you have found the ideal position, but your body has been getting used to another for years, therefore, as soon as you are distracted, it will immediately take its usual position. Of course, you can't just do all day to monitor the position of the pelvis, and the lower back will get tired out of habit. Help yourself get used to it - use back support to make it easier to form a new pattern.

How to help your body get used to the correct posture

Lumbar support chair

Most often, the back of office chairs is slightly tilted back, especially if the chair is no longer new and is a little loose. In such a chair, you will not be able to sit on the ischial tubercles and at the same time lean on the back.

In order not to break the correct position, try a special chair with a roller in the lumbar region. In such a chair, you can correctly position the pelvis and lean your back on the roller. Due to this, the muscles of the back will not be overloaded, and you will stop leaning back, shifting the weight from the ischial tuberosities.

However, a good chair can be quite expensive. If you don't plan on spending a lot of money, there are more affordable alternatives - pillows and orthopedic onlays.

Chair cushions and pads

The memory cushion is crushed under your body weight and retains its shape. You can place it under your lower back on a chair or car seat and maintain a neutral back position without feeling tired in the muscles. These pillows can be ordered on AliExpress. The cost is about 500 rubles.

There is also a cheaper option - a chair pad to support the lower back. This lightweight mesh construction, which is secured to the chair with ropes, provides good lumbar support and prevents back sweating. The cost is about 200 rubles.