Maintaining Good Posture While Sitting

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Back pain is something that afflicts hundreds of thousands of people at some point throughout their lives. It is not pleasant to experience, but fortunately there are many things you can do to try to relieve this pain.

One of the things that can have the most impact on relieving and preventing back pain is posture. Your posture when you sit and stand will either relieve the strain on your back muscles or it will add to it. The proper posture will help alleviate pain. Here are a few tips for maintaining proper posture while sitting:

1.       Put your feet on the floor or on a footrest

2.       Do not cross your legs

3.       Keep your ankles in front of your knees

4.       Maintain a small space between the back of your knees and the front edge of your seat

5.       Make sure your knees are at or below your hips

6.       Check to make sure the back of the chair is supporting your lower and mid-back

7.       Consider using a back support if it does not provide the needed support

8.       Relax and roll your shoulders back

9.       Keep your forearms parallel to the ground as much as possible

10.   Change position and walk around frequently to give various muscles a rest

As you sit properly, you may be able to relieve some of the back pain that you may have been experiencing. Good posture can provide you with other benefits as well, such as becoming more alert at work.