How to Properly Support Your Back While Sitting
One of the most important goals of performance seating is to protect your back. It is very easy to not pay attention and to slouch or tilt, things that are counterproductive to heathly sitting and all the ergonomic design that went into your fancy chair. So what steps should you take to make sure your back is supported while you are working?
What you want it proper posture. This does not mean sitting up as straightly as possible or pushing your shoulders back as far as you can at all times (as you would see in the boot camp section of an movie about the army), but rather keeping your spine a position that is comfortable, natural, and neutral. This step alone is the single most important goal of proper seating, but how do you do it?
Most experts have a checklist you can go through to make sure that you are doing what you should. Here are the basics:
Adjust your chair so that it puts you in the proper position. This means that it should be set so that your feet can rest flat on the floor and your hips are slightly aboved your knees. If you can adjust the seatpan it will help with this, you should give at least one inch between the back of your knees and the front edge of the seat. Next place the armrests so that your elbows can be placed on them without discomfort or slouching. Ideal you should be able to reach your keyboard while your elbows are resting on the armrests, but this is going to depend on your desk setup. Next make sure that what you are working on (your primary focus) is directly in front of you and within easy reach.