Experience and science about sitting are clear:

When the thighs are sloping down in a 45 degree angle, good posture is easy to make and keep and also get all the benefits that follow.
Actually, well balanced riding-like sitting is absolutely superior when compared to traditional sitting, which really does not work, but causes number of acute and chronic health problems and lowers productivity.
However, there are still many questions, ignorance and confusion about the good application of saddle sitting.

The basics of high-quality saddle sitting in perfect posture

1. One needs to adjust the sitting correctly and sit in the right way, which is correct sitting height, feet on the sides in the same line with shoulder and pelvis, pelvis tilted forward like in standing, buttocks on the same level with the back of the seat.
2. The saddle chair needs to have a middle gap. If the clothes are not tight, the pubic bone and genitals on it fit into gab, do not get pressed between the seat and the bones, and one can keep the pelvis in the same position as when standing. This way the whole back is in “standing posture”.
3. One should have loose clothing around the pelvis for good circulation. It prevents the pressure on the soft tissues (buttocks, thighs, groin, fascia, genitals). Women can always optimize the clothing with airy and loose skirts and dresses, but men need to have truly loose trousers and slack boxer shorts, or rather no underwear at all. Only truly loose clothes in the pelvic area help to keep the pressure away from genitals, and the vital micro circulation flows vividly.
4. One needs to elevate the table precisely at the right height = elbow height. The standard 72–74 cm table height does not work with saddle chairs, because we sit 20–30 cm higher. A height-adjustable table is required, which allows one also to vary between saddle sitting and standing. Long term standing is also harmful to micro circulation and knee- and hip joints. For average person standing 10–30 % of the working time, for no more than 10–20 min at a time, is recommended. Be conscious, listen to your body and its signals about this and apply accordingly.
5. Monitor (rather 3 monitors) need to be hoisted to the eye level (top of the screen is on the eye level) to keep the heavy head right on top of the shoulders, neck / shoulder muscles untensed and the neck posture good.

 

Additional features to make the sitting at work even better

• Swing mechanism in the seat keeps up unconscious and automatic micro movement in the pelvic area, which increases circulation in a large area in the body and enhances better health.
• A recess in the table, with elbow pads on the sides, helps to put more weight on the elbows, and remove it from the shoulders and back. However, one must not “hang” on the elbows and stretch with the shoulders high; this will harm shoulder joints in the long run.
• Memory places in the table help to switch the table height quickly between the optimum typing and reading heights, which further relaxes the shoulders and even gives a better spinal posture.
• Introduce frequent physical activity into sitting, and “Sit & Swing”, “Roll & reach” and “Walk & Talk” (with a colleague or with a Bluetooth earpiece). Smart people also have some gym equipment in the office and do few minute’s workout intervals during the day. This has a circulation, energy and brain boosting effect.
• The design of the saddle chair, in addition to the gap, is crucially important. If the chair under the thigh is rounded, as it is in many cheaper models, it puts a lot of pressure on the inner thigh, stopping the blood and lymph circulation in the legs. This is uncomfortable and unhealthy of course (varicose veins and cellulite built-up!). The “thigh slope” needs to be straight or rather even concave for minimum pressure and optimum circulation.

Chair and sitting environment optimization are crucially important to the looks, comfort, health and productivity.
In such important matter the only smart thing is to use truly high-quality products of experienced manufacturers.
Be patient while adopting the new way to sit (adaptation takes a few weeks), make smart and even radical choices with the clothing, learn actively to increase physical activity and use the best adjustments of the furniture.

Veli-Jussi Jalkanen
Sitting Ergonomics Specialist