Sit with a lumbar lordosis!
Did I say lumbar lordosis again? Forgive me, but this is just as important in sitting as it is when lifting. The correlation between individuals who sit more than four hours per day and lower back pain has been proven. And one of the reasons is that these individuals are likely to slouch for the better part of the day. Those of us with healthy backs can tolerate a slouched posture for 30 or 40 minutes at a time, but not much longer.
Actively sitting with a lordosis means that your own muscles are doing the work. I cue my patients with my hand at the lower back, pushing them gently forward and up, and at the same time say “get your shoulders tall”. I then have them maintain this posture for several minutes. At the beginning, this can be quite tiring. This is why I often tell the patient who sits most of the day to acquire a “lumbar roll”. This product is basically a cylinder of spongy material with cloth enclosing it, and a strap that holds it to your chair. When not able to sit actively with a lordosis, one should rely on it.
Fix your seated posture!
If you spend a lot of time sitting at home or at work, you may be putting yourself more at risk for head, neck, and shoulder pain! Over time with prolonged sitting, your head and neck will shift forward, along with forward rounding of your shoulders. This increases the amount of stress on your neck and shoulders. A excellent way to combat this abnormal position is pull your shoulders ‘BACK’ and ‘DOWN’. Start with holding this position for 15 seconds at a time, progressing up to 45 seconds.
