What in the fuck is bottom left?

I've forgotten the name but this thing I found at goodwill has been great for my hips/lower back while working!!

Exercise balls. After my boss bought a dozen for the workplace, I realized how much less my lower back was hurting. If I make an effort to also move my hip in various ways, it hurts even less. I decided to buy one myself to use when gaming on my PC. Works like a charm. Does my back still hurt? Yes. Has the exercise ball worked better and been more cost-effective than any other option thus far? Yes.

My problem is some kind of hypertension after overdoing cycling about six years ago. At least that's what they think. After having seen several specialists and doctors, they still don't know.

Herniated L6/L7. No chair has helped me. Only things that have are

• sit/stand desk
• movement (the best position is the next position)
• dead hangs, progressed to pull ups
• deadlift, slow progression, perfect form. Teaches proper lift positioning and bracing to execute successfully.
• same for squats

Not medical advice in any way. These are just the things that have helped me immensely. If you take any lifting advice off the Internet, get a coach.

I know if my back starts to hurt it’s because I’m not doing one or all of them enough.

The last one in your image is terrible. I have one and it just made my knees and lower back hurt worse. HermanMiller is really the only way to go. My wife and I both have the embody. I can sit for an entire day and my back feels the same as it did at the start. There’s a reason people gush about those chairs.

I gave up trying to sit for 15+ minute sessions. I have a standing desk and two barstool-height chairs of very different designs, cycling between the three options throughout my workday.

Great that I can work from home. In the office I would look like a fidgety child.

I have a talent. I'm able to slouch on any chair or equivalent that is presented to me.

If I remember to correct my posture I just put the pillow for my lower back, slide to the edge of my seat or do both.

The only thing which finally helped my back was physical therapy. It was the list of 7 exercises she told me to do. I searched each on youtube and one of the videos included 2-3 extra beyond the one I was searching, and 1 of those extra exercises finally worked like a miracle! 😁 I still have the video bookmarked if you want me to search for it and link it.

Swapped between normal and kneeling chair for a while as budget solution to back pains. Switched to sit/stand lifting desk + normal chair, stand pad (do not cheap out on the stand pad, get a nice thick one) and balance board when I upgraded my desk.

Kneeling chair was great, but shouldn't be used for long periods of time (2+ hours) according to lots of easily corroborated medical advice easily found even on the kneeling chair supplier websites.

Sit/stand desk is the best investment I've ever made, felt the improvements after 3 weeks of casual use. Balance board is awesome bonus but requires a solid hard surface. Had to buy a wooden panel to put over my plastic carpet protector cuz my place has fairly deep carpet.

SteelCase Leap was my favorite chair ever. I currently have a SteelCase Think. But honestly the thing more impactful than the chair, to me, is an adjustable height desk with an adjustable height monitor stand.

In the office, I have a regular office chair, a wobble stool, and a height-adjustable desk riser if I want to stand. Constantly switching between them makes the biggest difference for my back. Sometimes I use one setting all day long, sometimes I switch several times a day, however I feel

Instead of sitting or standing, without knowing your particular type of pain/injury, I suggest gently moving.

Walking pad/treadmill is an option, but if so go reallly slow so you take smaller steps, as walking "incorrectly" can also strain your lower back.

Perhaps a better fit would be to look for vertical motion than forward or static... standing on pedals similar to on a bike or on a stair machine or even just with one foot on a stepping board and switching whichever leg is on it frequently. Still when peddalinf, stepping or climbing stair steps: go slowly, we're not trying to break a sweat.

But probably the absolute best chioce is to ask a physician or physiotherapist that are knowledgeable about your specific kind of back issues how to sit, move, train and rest.

Good luck!

Aeron was helpful for my bulging disc. Steelcase Leap is also a great chair, as is the Gesture. Steelcase is less prescriptive about how it supports you compared to Aeron. Headrest is a big plus. Typically, in a desk work ergonomic scenario, you do not want any tension from holding yourself in position (which rules out exercise balls, saddle chairs, etc.) It also rules out “perfectly upright” chairs. Yes, it’s bad to sit that long, but holding a position for 4 hours is worse.

Those kneeling office chairs really hurt my knees, I'm too tall to use saddle chairs at a regular desk and with exercise balls its hard for me to get the height right. As far as chairs go what helped me was finding a chair with adjustible lumbar support, and adjustible spring tension on reclining. Steelcase used to offer all of these features but it looks like they don't have as much adjustment now. I've heard good things about Herman Miller but I've never tried them. As for lifestyle changes: a heating pad to loosen cramps, free weights to strengthen, and a foam roller to help realign the spine have all helped me. ymmv obv.

I messed up my back years ago. Sometimes I work sitting down for hours. Here’s how I’ve managed:

• Physical therapy and Gold Medal Bodies to learn how to move and strengthen what needs to be strong
• Watching and following Olivier Girard videos. His approach requires naturally using certain muscles while sitting, so maybe this won’t work for everyone. His approach also means that breaks are a must. I cannot sit for too long. Every half-an-hour or so I get up and move.
• Getting good enough chairs and desks. I followed Girard’s guide to buying chairs and desks. This means I can sometimes work for more than half-an-hour straight by lifting my desk so that I can work standing.

Hope this helps! And best of luck with your back

I use two chairs, a regular office chair and a kneeling chair. I switch between them regularly.

Bought a used Steelcase Leap chair 9 years ago to deal with pain caused by disc problems. It's built like a tank, amazingly adjustable, and completely alleviated my lower back pain. Still using it.