How should you sit?

Is there only one way to sit? Well, if you look at the textbooks they show a picture like this one. It's called the 90/90/90 seated posture - 90⁰ at the hips, knees and elbows. Think about how you sit. Is it in the 90/90/90 posture?

The interesting thing is  . . . no one sits like this! In fact, if you study people they will sit like this for only a few minutes at a time.

The truth is we sit in a variety of ways: Some good and some not so good. Take a look at the examples below. Do they look familiar?

Once you have identified if you use one or more of the styles below go to Recommended Sitting Styles to learn more. Click here to return to Chair

Name

Description

Illustration

Perch

Sit on the front of the chair.

• Indicates a mismatch between the user and the chair

• Seatpan may be too deep for leg length - can't sit back in the chair.

• Seatpan tension not set tight enough - chair flops backward if you do sit back in it.

• As your back gets tired typically tends to lead to a rounded back and slouched seated posture.

Slouch

Slouches in chair - rounds out lower back and neck when seated.

• Indicates a mismatch between user and chair

• Normal inward curve of the lower back is lost.

• May result in increased compression in the structures of the spine.

Leg Sit

Sit on one leg (tucked underneath body.)

• Indicates mismatch between chair size and user - sitting on leg tends to lock the user into the chair.

• Indicates a mismatch between desk height and seatpan height - sitting on leg provides a taller seated posture.

• Results in asymmetric seated posture.

• May result in decreased circulation into lower extremities.

Crossed leg

Sit with one leg crossed over the other.

• Indicates mismatch between chair size and user - sitting cross legged tends to lock the user into the chair.

• Results in asymmetric seated posture.

• May result in decreased circulation into lower extremities.

Go to Step Three - Recommended Sitting Styles