Don't Slouch?

Wow. First the experts tell me that Pluto is no longer a planet and now they tell me my mother was wrong!

For years my mother reminded my siblings and I to sit up straight. We heard this from our teachers, too. This was supposed to be good for our bones and I received many scoldings over this. To this day I am constantly having to remind myself to correct my posture, especially while sitting at my desk. Now it seems my mother was a liar.

A new study done by researchers at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland has shown that a more laid back posture (ha, mom) is actually better for us. The best posture, they say, is actually at a 135-degree angle and not the bolt-upright position that I have learned to loath. This would be somewhat of a sprawl which is halfway between being upright and prone. It seems that despite my repeated attempts to follow mothers advice I was sitting correctly more often than not, all along. Researchers concluded that the 135-degree position, I most often defaulted to, put the least amount of strain on the discs, muscles, and tendons.

Using the correct posture is still important. It is only our belief in what the 'correct posture' is that has changed. "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," said WaseemAmir Bashir, lead author of the study.

Bashir isn't alone in these beliefs. Other experts and doctors agree. Gunnar Andersson, the chairman of orthopedics at Rush University in Chicago discovered 30 years ago that a 135-degree angle was optimal. Other ergonomics specialists from office furniture makers such as Herman Miller and Steelcase, also agree. They've been incorporating reclining positions into their products for years.

It simply comes back to listening to your own body. If it doesn't feel comfortable, it's probably not good for you. Personally, I am elated with these findings and feel that there should be a recliner behind every desk. Now if the experts would just tell me my mother was wrong about my vegetables.