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Comment by deanclatworthy | Hacker News Reader

I guess no chair can help me solve my problem, which is I slump. No matter what chair I sit in, I slump. I've reached the point now where my back is giving me problems, and I only realise I'm slumping in the chair when it begins to hurt.

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I'm not a doctor, but wouldn't slumping be an indication that your back muscles have atrophied too much from sitting down all day? No chair / back rest is good enough to prevent that from happening, and no chair will be comfortable enough if the problem is a weak back. In fact, the more comfy and supportive the chair, the more your back will weaken.

Go to a gym, spend less time sitting down, get a standing desk, that kinda thing.

Sounds like the discs in your back are under a lot of pressure. Change your posture immediately to try and avoid a chronic condition. If you're using a laptop, then you might need to raise the screen and have a separate keyboard. Try an exercise ball, it's harder to slump in (for me anyway).

If you always slump in a chair, I can think of two things you could do to help mitigate the risks:

(1) Exercise more. Many people have reported feeling a lot better once they just started exercising and strengthening up their muscles (back muscles in particular).

(2) Get a height-adjustable desk and spend part of the day standing.

I watched my dad suffer through severe back pain when I was younger. He had to have surgery twice. His was caused by football most likely, but still, what I can tell you is you don't want to let this grow into a legitimate back problem. I've witnessed the impact it can have. It's not something to be trifled with.

If you're starting to get back pain, you might need to exercise more. Consider a walking or biking routine, and some back exercises[1].

Also, set an alarm to get up from your desk once an hour. Just taking a trip to the bathroom or the water cooler will help keep you active enough.

[1] I do this routine a couple times a month: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/LB00001_D

(Building some lower-back strength with deadlifts would be the next step, but might be more than you need just to avoid pain.)

I've heard that the Capsico chair is a hit among lab workers who basically slump or hunch over counters all day. The chair is designed to let you sit forward or backward giving you support in the front or back.

http://www.haginc.com/products/hag-capisco/

I slump as well. I'm 21 years old and I spend most of my time sitting in front of a computer either slumped or with my feet up on the seat and my head resting on my kneecap or similarly poor posture. I'm curious what other people use chair-wise and if there's a fan favorite.

Try using a footrest, perhaps a rocking one so that your feet get to move a bit while working. It should help you maintain a better posture.

You should also try to get out of your chair and move about for a few minutes as often as possible throughout your day. Among other things, the slouching/hunching/shifting in your chair is often an attempt to alleviate the pressures placed on your spine while sitting. Forcing myself to get up with a timer made a huge difference with my back pain. Before, I was at my chiropractor's office at least once a week.

You can also elevate your feet, which will (naturally) force you to sit more upright. In the past, I've used some books (wrapped in an old plastic garbage bag to keep them safe from mopping). But now, I'm used to it, and it's enough for me to just put my feet on the chair's wheels.

Try sitting on an exercise ball. Worth trying. Works for me.

I'm always slumping and I am 40. Pretty tall, too. Surprised that I don't have a lot of back pain - sometimes I wonder if the slumping has saved me...

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