Sitting is not the enemy

Your back does not mind sitting. It minds sitting still for three hours. A short guide for people who work at a desk.

Mikael Lindgren

, 1 min read, in backs

A man sitting tall on a birch stool with a finger resting on his chin

Every week someone tells me they have bought a new chair, a standing desk and a cushion, and their back still aches. The problem is rarely the furniture.

The best posture is the next one

There is no single correct way to sit. Backs and necks like variety. Slouching for ten minutes is fine. Sitting perfectly upright for three hours is not.

Small breaks, often

Set a quiet reminder every forty minutes. Stand up, walk to the window, roll your shoulders. It takes thirty seconds and does more than any chair.

Three things worth doing every day

  • Chin tucks, ten slow ones, to wake up the deep neck muscles
  • Cat and camel in the morning, to get the back moving
  • A walk at lunch, even a short one around the block

When to see someone

If the pain spreads into an arm or leg, wakes you at night, or has not changed in six weeks, come in. Most desk backs settle quickly once we know what is driving them.

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