How slouching on your comfy sofa could be ruining your health
ARE you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin. But if you’re sitting on a nice squishy sofa, this might make for uncomfortable reading. While your wonderfully soft, low, deep, modern sofa might look beautiful and feel amazing to sink into, it’s actually bad for you.
Specialists are seeing an epidemic of problems — ranging from back, hip and hamstring pain to digestive complaints — all caused directly by our desire to be ‘swallowed’ by a squashy sofa.
And not only have our sofas become squishier, we’re also spending longer than ever slumped on them, thanks to the addictiveness of box sets such as Game Of Thrones and on-demand TV services such as Netflix.
According to experts, we’re so gripped by watching one episode after another that we’re having less sex than previous generations — and, of course, all that time we’re not spending in bed is generally spent sprawled on the sofa.
‘We now frequently see patients suffering from back pain who admit that long periods of sitting at home on sofas in poor postural positions has both caused their pain or injury, and slows down their recovery,’ says leading physiotherapist Richard Evans, from Northamptonshire’s Back and Body Clinic.
‘And this number has definitely been on the rise since the fashion for squishier sofas started.’
Richard points out that the average adult in the UK spends between 55 and 70 per cent of their day in a sedentary position — that’s around 13 hours, not including sleeping. BUT while we already know that spending too long sitting down is no good for us in the longterm, how we sit can be just as bad, with fashionable short-legged, low-backed, extra-deep sofas exacerbating the problem.
‘Many modern-day sofas might look incredibly comfortable and provide a “wow” factor,’ says Richard, ‘ but the reality is that these styles offer nothing but loselose options of how to sit.
‘You can either curl up with your knees to one side and your spine curved in an S shape; or you can adopt the C-shape spine option, where you sit so far back that your spine is slumped and your feet barely touch the floor.
‘Sitting in either position, over time, builds up the pressure on your discs, muscles and ligaments, increasing both the chances of back, neck, hip, knee, shoulder and sciatic pain and the need to see a physiotherapist to keep you functioning.’
And that’s before anyone even mentions digestive problems caused by slumping during or straight after a meal — such as gastro-oesophageal disease, where acid flows back up from your stomach, causing discomfort and the risk of inflammation.
But have our sofas really changed so dramatically?
In short — yes. The household sofas of the late 1800s were completely different from the bedlike behemoths we stuff into our living rooms today.
‘In the Victorian era, you would never see a person curled up on the sofa,’ says Jo Unsworth, upholstery buyer for John Lewis. ‘Historically they were more of a perch, offering a more seated position, with higher backs and arms.’
Donna Bellingham of Parker Knoll, which has been making top- end sofas and armchairs since 1869, says our taste in sofas has been getting squashier since the Nineties.
Post-war, contemporary styles were in very short supply, and for well over a decade furniture was designed with utility in mind — it was fit for purpose, but very simple and basic, reflecting the austerity of the times,’ she explains.
‘The Sixties and Seventies were all about bold colours, contemporary clean lines. Wooden trims and framed arms were popular, while the recliner was an instant hit.
‘The Eighties was all about coordinating and matching, from cushions right through to curtains, drapes and table cloths.
‘ Then, during the Nineties, shabby chic brought the squishy sofa into fashion. Baggy, loose covers were in favour, offering a more casual look. This started in the U. S., and over time has become more refined.’
While the style of today’s sofas is radically different from those of our ancestors, the way they’re made has changed very little.
‘Most sofas are constructed the way they always were — a wooden frame with upholstery wrapped around it,’ explains Donna.
‘There are some differences, of course — originally, if you were well-to- do, your sofa would be stuffed with horsehair; and if you weren’t so well-off, it’d be stuffed with straw or even dried moss.
‘Nowadays, there’s a foam or man-made fibre core, the fabrics are more high-tech and cut on an automated cutter, and the wood frame is cut by machine to ensure uniformity, but the basic principle is the same.
‘It’s just that the look and the levels of comfort we expect have changed drastically. We spend a lot of time improving the ergonomics of our furniture, but ultimately, most of our customers say comfort is the number one thing they look for in a sofa.’
And that’s exactly where the problem lies, or sits! To avoid back pain, you should sit with both feet on the floor, your knees at or just below hip level and your back upright and well-supported.
In reality, though, holding this kind of pose — whether you’re enjoying an hours-long box- set marathon or just catching up on a soap — isn’t relaxing, or particularly appealing.
After all, sofas are meant to be about unwinding. After a long day at work or running about after the kids, we don’t want to sit ramrod straight. We’d much rather flop down on big cloud-like cushions.
So, is there anything we can do to keep the comfort factor, yet avoid being on first-name terms with an osteopath? THE first step is to choose wisely. ‘ Great classic design never goes out of fashion,’ says Donna. ‘And there’s a big vintage revival at the moment, with increased demand for things such as wingback chairs and scroll-arm sofas (which are more supportive and with higher backs than today’s squishy styles), albeit upholstered with modern bright fabrics.’
And choose your cushions carefully, too. Most manufacturers offer you the option of foam-filled or feather-filled. While featherfilled may look and feel far squishier, Donna says that foam interiors offer firmer support.
The more upright mid-century designs of the Fifties and Sixties are also making a comeback, with cleaner lines and higher seats proving more posture-friendly.
‘Recliners are also a surprisingly good option,’ says physio Richard Evans. ‘ The angle of your back stays in a much more favourable position, stopping you slouching.’
But what if you don’t want to part with your squishy sofa?
‘Adding more cushions can help, but only if you use them to provide support from behind, rather than at the side,’ advises Richard.
‘A footstool can also be a good option, but the best advice is to change position regularly — every ten minutes or so — and try to have four or five different ways of sitting, so you’re not overloading any part of your body for too long.’
Finally, keeping your sofa healthy will benefit your health, too.
‘Shake feather-filled cushions each time you sit on them,’ suggests Donna. ‘And if you have loose seat or back cushions, turn them over every week, to help keep their shape.’
Having said that, once the foam in the seat has lost its shape and you’re able to feel the springs or frame, the bottom line is that you need to get off your bottom and invest in somewhere new to park it — firmly.