Sitting tall can feel like hard work, especially if you’re perched on the front of your chair holding yourself up. But your chair can do some of that work for you. Using your backrest well is one of the easiest ways to sit upright without tiring.

Why the backrest helps

When you sit forward without support, the muscles along your back have to hold you up the whole time. They tire, and you gradually sink. Research measuring muscle activity and spinal load found that leaning back slightly against a backrest, with some support in the lower back, reduced both. Your back gets a rest, and staying upright takes less effort.

Finding a comfortable position

You could try:

• Sitting all the way back in your chair, so your bottom touches the back of the seat.
• Letting the backrest take your weight, leaning back very slightly rather than bolt upright.
• Adding support for the curve of your lower back, like a small cushion or rolled-up towel, if your chair doesn’t have it.

You should still be able to see your screen and reach your keyboard comfortably. If you can’t, move the chair closer rather than leaning forward off the backrest.

At home

Kitchen chairs and sofas often don’t support you well. A cushion behind your lower back can turn an ordinary chair into a much more comfortable one for working.

Supported, not stuck

Using a backrest doesn’t mean staying in one position. It simply gives you a comfortable base to return to between movements and resets.

Something to try this week

Each time you sit down to work this week, slide all the way back in your chair and let the backrest take your weight. If your chair has no lower back support, try a small cushion.

What to take away

• Sitting forward without support makes your back muscles work hard.
• Leaning back slightly with lower back support reduces that effort.
• Sit all the way back and let the backrest take your weight.
• A cushion can add support to chairs that don’t have it.

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