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Are you sitting comfortably..? Step 4 - Knees

facing forwards and in line with each other

Knees often have a tendency to knock together in the sitting position and sometimes fall to one side.

Sitting with the knee caps facing forwards and with the legs slightly apart can help to keep the muscles between the thighs stretched. It also helps to make sure that the weight goes through the sitting bones and not the base of the spine, an area which can be prone to developing pressure damage.

drawing showing knees pressing together and person looking unbalanced

Bad posture
Knees pressing together can cause tightness in the muscles between the legs or hip pain. It can also make you feel unbalanced in the chair.

drawing showing a rolled-up towel keeping knees slightly apart

Good posture
A rolled-up towel or small cushion can be used to keep knees slightly apart. A small, folded towel between the chair side and leg can stop the knee falling out to the side or pressing on the arm-rest.



Next page - Some other useful tips - Changing position through the day