Improve your confidence by changing the way you sit!

Sitting with a straight back and shoulders will not only improve a person’s physical health but can make them feel more confident.

Many people spend the majority of their day sitting down as they tend to sit when commuting, working in an office or studying, and relaxing at home. Prolonged sitting can cause a range of adverse health effects, including bad posture and back health.

Put a little sticky note by your desk to remind yourself to try these tips! You will be amazed at how much better you feel by just changing the way you sit!

You can improve posture and achieve a proper sitting position by:

• keeping feet flat or rest them on either the floor or a footrest

• avoiding crossing knees or ankles

• maintaining a small gap between the back of the knees and the chair

• positioning knees at the same height or slightly lower than the hips

• placing ankles in front of the knees

• relaxing the shoulders

• keeping the forearms and knees parallel to the floor where possible

• holding elbows at the sides creating an L-shape in the arms

• sitting up straight and looking forward without straining the neck

• keeping the back against the chair, or using a backrest or cushion if there are places where the back does not comfortably meet the chair, especially in the lower back region

• avoiding sitting for long periods at a time, ideally taking at least a 10-minute break for every hour of sitting