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Sitting Positions

One thing I've learned from my years sitting at a desk and dealing with back injuries and back pain is the importance of working in multiple sitting positions. There is a saying that some doctor or therapist told me. "The best sitting position is the next one." It perfectly illuminates the way to think about sitting and it also highlights the problem that most office setups are only built for one sitting position.

Stand-up desks are gaining in popularity which adds another position, but now that is only two of many positions. It is critical to find opportunities to get in different positions throughout the day. Here are some to try out:

  • Traditional chair setup
  • Standing up
  • Laying on your back like on a bed or sofa
  • Laying on your stomach kind of like a massage table
  • Squatting position kind of like a baseball catcher's pose
  • Kneeling position - both having two knees on the ground and one leg up and one leg down like a coach.
  • Floor sitting position - legs crossed and legs straight out.
  • Barrel stretch - I particularly like this one. It comes from pilates where they have a giant barrel shaped contraption that you drape your body over to create space in your pelvis and lower back.
If you can work in different sitting positions from this list, I am confident you will begin to feel your back loosen up and perhaps feel some pain relief.

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