Sit Up Straight? ➡️ Red Pill or Blue?

I would guess about 98% of people think “sit up straight” is good advice.

But 2% of us (the red pill takers) want to know exactly what “sit up straight” means.

(sorry for the red pill reference, I just watched The Matrix 4) 😂

Is “sit up straight” good posture advice? Or can we do better? Image by ChatGPT.

For those that don’t know, the red pill versus blue pill metaphor represents a choice we have to make. It originated in The Matrix movie from 1999.

“Taking the red pill” means accepting a painful, but potentially life-changing truth.

While “taking the blue pill” would mean remaining in a state of comfortable, blissful ignorance.

Quick disclaimer: This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.

All the desk worker health tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.

Sit Up Straight? ➡️ Red Pill or Blue?

The majority (blue pill takers) tends to accept outdated, old school advice (like “sit up straight”).

Side note: if you’re reading this, you’re not in the majority. Congratulations on choosing the red pill. 😉

The minority (red pill takers) want to understand more.

We want to understand exactly what we’re doing wrong, so we can fix it as best we can.

Taking the red pill can mean the difference between: pain versus comfort.

The difference between: naive versus knowing.

❌ What causes back pain when sitting at a computer?

Sitting with an incorrect spine position, for long periods of time, is what caused most of my back pain.

But before we can correct our spinal position, let’s understand what we’re doing wrong first.

There’s a common misconception when it comes to the spine…many think our spines are “straight” when looking at them from a side angle.

But actually, our spines are not straight from a side angle. They have healthy, natural curves.

Notice the natural curves in the spine (from a right side angle) when sitting in an office chair. This spine is in a neutral, balanced position. 👍 Image by Eraxion via Megapixl.

Here’s a better look at the natural curves of the spine in a neutral, balanced position (also from a right side angle). 👍 Image by Macniak via Megapixl.

❓ Sit up straight is…bad advice?

“Sit up straight” can easily be misunderstood. Because too much of a good thing can be a very bad thing.

We don’t want to sit up “too straight”, which could flatten out the natural curves in our spine.

❌ The user on the left is sitting up too straight. He has an exaggerated inward curve of the spine.

❌ The user in the middle is slouching forward.

✅ The user on the right is sitting with an upright torso. He also has a neutral, balanced spine. All the natural curves of his spine are intact.

Image by Eveleen007 via Megapixl.

✅ How to stack the spine correctly when sitting at a computer

We want to find a middle ground between “too straight” and “slouching forward.” I describe the middle ground like this…

Sit with an upright torso. While maintaining a neutral, balanced spine, with its natural curves intact. 👍

Here’s another example of a user sitting at a computer, while correctly stacking the spine in a neutral, balanced position. All the natural curves of his spine are intact. 👍 Image by Eraxion via Megapixl.

Now that we have a better understanding of the natural curves of the spine, we can increase our body awareness to know if we’re sitting with good spinal posture (or not).

THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.

If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!

If you liked this article on how to stack the spine correctly when sitting at a computer, check out my free ebook titled 3 Ways to Improve Computer Posture Immediately!

>>> Click here to download your free copy

3 Ways to Improve Computer Posture Immediately! by Todd Bowen

This ebook is a great supplement to the article you just read. In this ebook, you’ll learn 3 of the most painful, poor computer posture mistakes. Then, you’ll learn how to fix those mistakes immediately with 3 simple changes to your ergonomic computer desk setup.

Go to SittingPosture.com/ebook to learn more.

Take care,