This article includes a 2:22 video walkthrough.
Quick answer
Most people drop into a chair and fall back into the backrest. That leaves a gap behind you and a collapsed posture. Instead, sit down upright, slide as deep as you can so your pelvis is against the pelvis support, and then bring the backs to you. Every time you sit back down, lead with your hips into the pelvis support.
Right way vs. wrong way
Right: sit down upright and deep, so your pelvis is right up against the pelvis support, with a little space behind your knees. Then bring the backs to you.
Wrong: plop down partway back and fall into the backs. You end up collapsed, and if you then bring the backs forward to meet you, you lose seat depth and the pelvis support can't do its job.
Habit to build: after getting up, sit back down deep and upright before you pull in to your desk. It works the same way no matter how tall you are.
Also called: sitting correctly, proper sitting posture, how to sit in an ergonomic chair, slouching.
Not sure you've got it? Book a free Posture Consult with one of our licensed therapists. Consults are educational and product-related only, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Video transcript
I'm six foot one, and when I sit down in the chair with the backs all the way back, I could get into the chair two different ways, and I'd like you to see each one of these.
One is where I get in and I sit nice and deep, and I'm sitting upright like this. At six foot one, I have the minimum clearance, which is perfect. If I had longer femurs and my legs were up here, this is not bad. This would be bad. So make sure that you always have a little space here, and don't worry about extra. Okay, this was the good way of getting into the chair: upright.
But that's not how most people get in the chair, because I watch how you guys get in the chair at the airport, at the bus station, at home, in your office. And it's very human to get into the chair like this, and just sit most of the way back and fall into the backs. And this is how you get that collapsed posture. By the way, look at how much space we've got now. This is human. You sit down collapsed, and then what we see happen is a lot of people, when they're told to sit upright and bring the backs to them... look at this. There's three inches back here. This is not how to get into the chair.
If you're taller or shorter, you should try and get into the Anthros chair upright, and then bring the backs to you. And for me, it's this much.
If I get out of the chair, because this is now set up for me perfectly, and I get back in, say I'm tired and I just plop into my chair and pull into my desk, and I sit forwards too much, I'm collapsed, and I'm not getting the benefit of fixing my sit and using that pelvis support the right way. So I need to remind myself to sit deeper in and get my pelvis up against that back, and now I'm getting full use of that chair. And it really doesn't matter how tall you are. Sit upright when you get into your chair, and you will fix your sit.