The longstanding advice to “sit up straight” has been turned on its head by a new study that suggests leaning back is a much better posture.
Researchers analyzed different postures and concluded that the strain of sitting upright for long hours is a perpetrator of chronic back problems.
A 135-degree body-thigh sitting posture was demonstrated to be the best biomechanical sitting position, as opposed to a 90-degree posture, which most people consider normal, said study author, Waseem Amir Bashir, a researcher at the University of Alberta Hospital in Canada.
Sitting in a sound anatomic position is essential, since the strain put on the spine and its associated ligaments over time can lead to pain, deformity and chronic illness.