Posture Is a Verb, Not a Noun

The dominant cultural image of good posture is a single pose: back straight, shoulders down, chin level. The problem with this image is that holding any single pose for hours is unambiguously worse for you than rotating between several mediocre ones.

The current consensus among ergonomists is straightforward: the next posture is the best posture. What you want from a workspace is not perfection of form — it's permission to move.

That reframes what "ergonomic" even means. An ergonomic chair is not a chair that puts you in a perfect position. It is a chair that keeps five different positions comfortable, so you naturally cycle between them without thinking.

The same logic applies to sit-stand desks. The benefit is not standing. The benefit is the act of switching, which is why standing all day is almost as bad for you as sitting all day.

Practical takeaway: if you find yourself holding perfectly still for more than 30 minutes, your setup is working against you, not for you.