We’ve all been told to “Sit up straight.” But what does that really even mean, anyway? This advice can be confusing, and even problematic.

The postural restoration institute (PRI) is about so much more than posture, but they have taught me a lot about how to position yourself in your daily life so that you can breathe better and reduce unnecessary tension and patterning in your body.

The Problem:

A common problem that I see when people follow the recommendation to “sit up straight” is over arching your back. Of course, it is not good to slump (picture 1). There are so many reasons why slumping like this is terrible for you, I’m sure you’ve heard them all (and can see how it just looks awful!) so I’m not going to get into that here.

But! it’s just as bad to over arch your back (picture 2).

This is because when you over arch your back, your abdominal muscles cannot help stabilize you and they become weak. Conversely, your back muscles become tight, short, and also weak, with extra compression in your lower back spine. 

You are forced to hold yourself up with your hip flexors, which also become short and weak!

Not to mention, you can’t breathe well sitting in an over arched position.

In the PRI world, we understand that abdominals are breathing muscles first, and in the over-arched position, your back muscles take over and abs can’t do their job.

Most of your lungs, and best area for passing oxygen from your lungs to your body, is in the ​lower back lungs. ​When you sit overly arched, this area becomes compressed and you can’t breathe well. 

Fix It!

The best way to sit is to not arch or slump, but rather to keep your ribcage neatly stacked over your pelvis (picture 3). 

This allows for the abdominal and back muscles to work together in a balanced way, and for the natural curves of the spine to exist. It also promotes normal breathing. 

How To Do It:

Sit with knees at hip height or slightly higher. Roll your pelvis slightly under (as if you were trying to bring your belt loop closer to your belly button). Feel your sit bones in the chair (the bony points at the base of your pelvis). Exhale through your mouth and allow your lower front ribs to move down. Place a pillow behind you for additional support, putting the pillow all the way down to support your whole back (picture 4).

Ahhhh, that’s better! Your spine can decompress, your back muscles can relax, and you can breathe.  

Need more help? Here’s a video guiding you on how to fix your sitting posture!