Are Reclining Chairs Bad for your Back?
Reclining chairs – everyone has them and everyone loves them. Recliners are a staple piece of furniture in any Western home, and for a good reason – they are stylish and comfortable. But, are reclining chairs bad for your back?
Lately, there has been a lot of controversy concerning this question, with many people reporting experiencing backache after sitting in recliners. This article will provide you with a definitive answer to the question of the health benefits or withdrawals of reclining chairs.
Contrary to popular belief, sitting upright is not the best option when it comes to the health of your upper and lower back. When you have to spend most of your time seated, it is common for people to slide their behinds forward a bit to get into a semi-reclined position. This relaxes them and seems to decrease the chances of any back pain occurring. Even though this movement is instinctive, it really does seem to work and give some results. This alone indicates that sitting completely upright is not good for our back at all – that we instinctively prefer a reclining position.
This instinctive behavior has indeed been explained by medical science, which has definitively proven that reclining is better for your health than an upright position.
Medical professionals used a MRI machine to examine how sitting upright affects our bodies, as opposed to reclining or a position in which you are slouched forward, and they have come to multiple conclusions:
– Sitting upright for hours will put stress on your entire back, causing the risk of chronic back pain to become greater
– Reclining is better for the back since it creates a roughly 135 degree angle between your thighs and back. This lowers the stress exerted on the spinal ligaments when compared to sitting at a 90 degree angle
– Sitting while slouching forward also puts less stress on your body than an upright position, but more than a reclining position
– Out of the three, a reclining position is definitely the best, as it provides the best support for the body, and shows the least amount of discomfort or damage after a prolonged period of maintaining the same position
Science tells us that standing is the best option for the human body, since this position puts the least amount of stress on the body, but when it comes to sitting, a reclining position is definitely the best one.
When it comes to reclining chairs, it is a fact that all of them are better for you back than a regular chair. Nevertheless, some are better than others. When choosing a good recliner, especially if you sometimes experience back pain, you need to look at the support the recliner provides for your back. The best brand among recliners when it comes to back support is Lazyboy. Their recliners have a lot of lower back support, especially in a reclining position. They fold your body into a curved position, which puts less stress on your ligaments and spine.
Read our reviews of the top and best lazyboy recliners here.
Due to a bad back, I have been sleeping in a Lazyboy for 15 years. I cannot sleep in a bed. Sheets and pillowcases are changed on beds frequently for cleanliness and to prevent germs. Should I worry about this on my Lazyboy since nothing can be changed ? Should I clean the cloth frequently and how do I do it and how frequently ? I love the chair but I worry about germs. Thanks.