A spinal pain expert has claimed that health concerns about slouching while sitting are nonsense.
Dr. Chris McCarthy, a spine consultant at Harley Street and a researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, dismissed concerns that have spread for decades about a comfortable sitting position that is far from straight.
He said: "There is a good reason why slouching while sitting does not affect our spine, and that is because it allows for various movements to be carried out. And if you are sitting in a comfortable way, rest assured that this is not really bad for you and is as good as any other comfortable position for you."
McCarthy added: "In fact, any position we hold for a long time can be bad for us. You will get muscle fatigue, and that can cause some discomfort as a signal to you that you need to move."
“We're not saying slouching is bad,” explains Sami Margot, a board-certified physiotherapist in London. “Any sitting position for long periods of time will be bad.”
McCarthy suggests following the “20:20:20 rule,” where every 20 minutes you lift your eyes from the computer screen and look 20 meters away for 20 seconds while moving your body. This helps improve your mood, eye health, concentration, and spinal muscles.
It is worth noting that experts always dispute everything we have learned about “healthy” sitting posture, saying that this posture is “baseless” and illogical.
Despite these views, sitting upright is still considered "best" by some, in the same way that slouching is frowned upon. There are guidelines that require employees to place their computer screen at arm's length and at eye level.
The same NHS guidelines stress the importance of maintaining an “upright” sitting posture, saying “no slouching”.
However, there is no universally accepted definition of ideal posture.
Men's "belly" threatens with chronic disease in middle age
A new study has found that men with excess weight in the abdominal area (belly) may experience brain aging and decreased cognition in middle age.
Researchers believe that high levels of fat in the pancreas and liver in men may lead to an increased risk of dementia. However, this was not the case for women.
The study included 204 healthy middle-aged people with a family history of Alzheimer's disease.
The research team found that men with a high percentage of abdominal fat suffered from decreased cognitive function.
"Excess pancreatic fat was associated with decreased cognition and brain volume in middle-aged males at risk for Alzheimer's disease," said Michel Schneider-Perry, MD, of Rutgers Health, New Jersey.
“The results suggest that abdominal fat percentage, rather than body mass index, is a risk factor for decreased cognitive performance and higher risk of dementia,” said Sapir Golan Shechtman, from Sheba Medical Center in Israel.
Excess fat that accumulates around the torso and surrounds vital organs is called visceral fat, as it contributes to the appearance of a prominent abdomen (belly) and the unwanted apple body shape.
It is noteworthy that visceral fat is very dangerous, as fatty acids leak into the bloodstream. It differs from the less dangerous subcutaneous fat, which accumulates just below the surface of the skin and is responsible for cellulite.
Many academics believe that waist circumference is a more accurate indicator of obesity and the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease than the commonly used body mass index (BMI).
The study was published in the journal Obesity.