A new study conducted at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland, suggests that sitting in a more laid-back manner may actually be better than sitting perfectly upright in preventing back pain. The hospital conducted the study using twenty-two volunteers sitting in three different positions, some hunched over their desk, some in a completely upright position, and some sitting in the more relaxed position.



The results at the end of the study showed that the position putting the least stress on the spine was the 135 degree angle backward sprawl. Waseem Amir Bashir, lead author of the study said “sitting in a sound anatomic position is essential, since the strain put on the spine and its associated ligaments over time can lead to pain, deformity, and chronic illness.”



So, the next time you are sitting through that long class lecture, try sitting in a more comfortable way. Since 135 degrees is a little hard to measure exactly, just make sure that you are leaning back slightly with your feet on the floor. If your parents or teachers happen to tell you to sit up straight, just tell them you do not want to risk acute back pain at a young age. Just don’t blame the hospital if their reactions are less than satisfactory.