Sitting is a tough habit to break. It's not just bad for your posture, it's also terrible for your health and longevity. Many people find sitting all day stressful and painful. Worse still, it can lead to major back problems like chronic pain, pinched nerves, and sciatica. Sitting for long periods of time is a major cause of this discomfort. Luckily, there are things you can do to relieve the stress on your back and help protect yourself from the dangers of sitting too long in one spot. One option is a saddle chair--a new type of chair that doesn't have a backrest or armrests. Saddle chairs allow you to sit upright without straining your spine or shoulder muscles and provide relief from back pain

Good Posture Without a Backrest

You do need a backrest for back support, but there are some easy posture adjustments to achieve a straight spine without one. Keep in mind that the proper body posture in most positions is a relaxed spine in a neutral pelvis. In a saddle seat your spine stays aligned naturally even without a backrest. This is because the open-thigh-torso angle helps in aligning your spine, also the wide spread of the knees makes sure that your pelvis is held uptight.

Strengthening Your Core Muscles Without Backrests

When using a regular chair with a backrest your postural muscles are pretty much dormant. Using a saddle chair assists in keeping your trunk, pelvis and leg muscles active. If your postural muscles are asleep your body will become dependent on your arm and back support causing multiple posture health concerns.

Your Feet is Positioned Properly

The fixed foot position in a saddle seat prevents foot slippage due to imbalance, and because your feet are able to follow the path of your shoulders, your lower legs stay balanced and in correct alignment. This helps prevent knee and hip stress fractures and other biomechanical problems caused by a one-sided sit. If you are using a saddle chair you will find that there is a lesser need for armrests and backrests.

A Backrest Can Make a Saddle Seat Uncomfortable

If you are using a regular office chair you will notice how your body has become dependent to your backrest and armrests. This is due to the fact that a regular chair does not force your body to balance itself and use your core muscles. This will then contribute to multiple posture health problems and can cause back pain. The shape of the saddle stool does not support a reclined pelvis that's why there is a lesser need for a backrest, this helps in promoting good posture and making sure you are sitting in the healthiest way possible!