This “truth” is just one of the many pieces of health and fitness advice which are so well established they are almost never questioned.

Well, maybe some of this “proven” advice should be questioned.

Some researchers recently analyzed different postures and concluded that the strain of sitting upright for long hours is a perpetrator of chronic back problems.

What?

Yep, you read this correctly. These researchers found that a 90-degree sitting position causes the spinal disks to move and misalign more than any other position.

They used a new form of magnetic resonance imaging to study 22 volunteers sitting in three different positions — slouching, sitting up straight, and sitting back with a 135 degree posture.

Which one do you think put the least strain on the back?

I’ve already told you that sitting up straight put the most strain so you only have two to choose from.

Well, it turns out the 135-degree sitting posture was the best (as far as sitting — laying down with the knees slightly bent put the least strain on the back).

Back pain is the most common cause of work-related disability in the United States and costs Americans nearly $50 billion annually. Most researchers believe one of the major causes of this ailment is sitting — and, given the results of this study, sitting incorrectly.

Here is what one of the study’s authors said about their results:

“This may be all that is necessary to prevent back pain, rather than trying to cure pain that has occurred over the long term due to bad postures.”

My point? Don’t assume that long-standing health and fitness advice is correct.

Allen Oelschlaeger
Author of Finally, the Straight Scoop About Weight, Nutrition, and Fitness

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