REAL Ergonomics: If Slouching Is Bad For Me, Why Does It Feel So Good?
Whole Body Posture AND Whole Body Movement
What Are the Pieces of the Body?
The body’s muscles, ligaments and joints are involved in adopting a posture AND carrying out a movement / applying a force
Muscles provide motion / force (i.e. create bone movement)
Ligaments stabilize an active or passive position (i.e. stop bones moving in a direction)
Joints allow relative movement (i.e. allow bones the correct movement on each other)
To do these jobs, blood must deliver nutrients and remove cellular waste to these tissues and the nerves. One of the major reasons body tissues get injured / start to hurt is due to blood flow slowing or stopping when these tissues are under load / tension for longer than 15 or 20 minutes. Even a healthy posture held too long can limit the blood flow, which is why movement between different positions every 15 or 20 minutes is necessary.
One of the more rhetorical questions I’ve picked up in clinical experience is the question:
If slouching is so bad for you, why does it feel so good?
Basically, slouching (which is spinal flexion, like touching your toes) is within the healthy movement range of the human body. Slouching is also a position that allows our muscles to rest a little as they relax and put the strain on ligaments and joints. Relaxation is good, right? The problem is when you stick yourself into that position for long enough that the blood flow is compromised and tissues are over-strained (and hopefully they aren’t already sensitive or injured).
People can find themselves spending too much time in flexion when:
They lack the strength , endurance, and/or awareness (honestly, all 3) to move from that position
Their seat isn’t adjustable manually or automatically
There aren’t enough varied tasks to break monotony
In my experience, people can mostly avoid (and even correct!) low level body pain with a commitment to regular movement and body position changes, supplemented by minimizing the dose of postures that decrease blood flow.
One reason why people ignore the timer or minimize the importance of regular movement is they believe it will harm productivity due to the distraction. I get it. In the short term, that may be true (especially computer programmers!), but studies have easily shown that there is a whole body fatigue when breaks - I sometimes call them snacks - are absent. These people, whether they notice or not, slide towards the zombie side of the scale. Paradoxically, people get more work done when they are refreshed with frequent movement snacks and postural changes.
Do THIS:
Move a little bit every 15-20 minutes:
Change angles of your chair with the levers and knobs to what feels different yet comfortable
A pillow or towel can be placed in a variety of spots along the spine
If you’re standing, you may like a box to put a foot on (or not), switching as you choose for comfort
Take your phone calls standing up
Set an alarm on your phone for every 15 - 20 minutes AND don’t ignore it - You will be healthier and more productive if you practice this!
Make a bigger move every hour:
Change your workstation, from sit to stand, or stand to sit
Drink enough water that you are required to get up and take a walk to the restroom
Have a stretching snack (Rebecca has a few movement challenges for “Couch Back” and Ayla has her Top 3 Movements for Lock-Down)
Mark Borslein, Physiotherapist