“By taking good care of your posture now, you will enjoy and savour lifelong health benefits and beauty.” – Cindy Ann Peterson.
“Don’t slouch; sit straight; otherwise, your back will hurt, or you’ll strain your neck”… You must have heard your elders nagging you about your sitting posture more than once. Often, their advice falls on deaf ears. We believe that as long as we can study, it doesn’t matter how we actually sit, but researchers suggest otherwise.
Studies have shown that students’ Sitting Posture while Studying can make or break their exam preparation. This is because poor posture directly affects our muscles and psychological factors like confidence, energy, concentration, memory, focus, cognitive stress, etc. In addition, poor sitting posture while studying can result in a bad mood, wavering focus, disoriented cognitive skills, etc. Hence, students must embrace the correct sitting posture while studying to make the most of their study time. In this article, we’ll discuss the proper sitting posture for students, the correct posture for studying on the floor and bed, and how you can improve your current sitting posture.
Sitting Advice while Studying:
Scientifically speaking, when identifying the correct posture for studying, your spinal cord plays a significant role. Whether sitting or standing, the best posture for studying is when all the curves of your vertebral column at the neck, mid-back, and lower back are correctly maintained and aligned. Bending your spine too much or putting excessive pressure on it can harm your body.
Here’s the Sitting Posture while Studying:
Sit while keeping your back straight, do not lean forward, and ensure your back is well-rested on the chair.
You can also use a pillow, cushion, or rolled-up blanket for your back to rest it properly on the chair.
Keep your feet flat on the ground with your knees and hips at the same level. Avoid sitting with your legs dangling.
Sit in a vertical position with your feet firmly pressed on the floor. Your shoulders should be relaxed with your elbows close to your sites.
Put your study material or computer screen at eye level to avoid slouching for reading the content.
1. Furniture placement tips while studying:
Sit on a comfortable, adjustable chair that supports your back without slouching.
Adjust your chair, so you’ll have sufficient space for your knees, and your feet should be firmly placed on the ground.
Support your elbows with armrests to avoid putting pressure on your arms and elbows.
The desk should be high and big enough to provide space for your knees and accommodate all your study materials.
Computer screen should be placed at eye level to prevent slouching and at arm’s length to avoid eye-straining.
The keyboard should be placed near your stomach to avoid moving your arms too much. It will also prevent you from overworking your shoulder muscles while studying.
Put your wrists in a neutral position and support your arms on the desk while working with a keyboard and mouse.
Always study with adequate lightning. Too dim lighting may lead to long term eye-issues and headaches.
2. Correct sitting posture while reading:
But just like studying, poor posture for reading can lead to back pain, muscle aches, and neck strain. To prevent that, here we present sitting advice while reading:
Sit on a chair with your back straight and feet touching the floor.
Tuck your chin downwards towards your neck and keep it even with your shoulders.
Put your books close to your eyes to avoid slouching.
3. Posture while Studying on the floor:
Studies are not limited to tables and chairs only. Often students opt to study on floors for comfort or other reasons, and changing study places is also beneficial. However, maintaining your sitting posture is essential for floor study as well. Follow the given advice while studying on the floor:
It is recommended to sit cross-legged on the floor while studying.
Put your body’s weight on your hips rather than your legs.
For better comfort, you can also sit on a cushion or place it between your knees to minimise the pressure on your back.
4. Posture while Studying on the bed:
It’s a rare occurrence when you put yourself in a warm and cosy envelope of your bed and study without falling asleep. Because of that, we won’t recommend you study on your bed, but if you can’t avoid it, here are your posture advice while studying in bed:
Sit with your back pressed against the headboard or wall, and put not more than two pillows to support your back.
Use a small bed table to position your books, and avoid putting them on your lap as you’ll have to slouch to study that way.
Don’t sit too comfortably, or you’ll fall asleep.
How to improve your current Postures while Studying?
Prepare Your Environment: The first step to improving your sitting posture is adjusting your surroundings. As mentioned earlier, adjust your chair’s height, back support, desk height, computer screen, mouse, and keyboard placement to avoid slouching and straining your muscles.
Stretch When Necessary: Sometimes, even while sitting with the correct posture, your muscles will ache with pent-up tension and stress. To relieve them, stretch your body whenever you feel necessary. Medical studies show that 5-10 minutes of mild body stretching can improve flexibility, body posture, and muscle pain.
Take Breaks: It may be challenging to hold the same straight posture for longer durations while studying. After some time, you may feel tired and succumb to slouching. To prevent that, take regular breaks while studying. Relax, move around, meditate or do mobility exercises to calm your mind and body.
Remember, changing our posture might require some time because we have become accustomed to sitting, standing, and walking in the same way for years. Therefore, follow the guidelines mentioned above to improve your posture the best you can.
