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Straight talk

Sitting up straight isn't so good for you after all, a study by the University of Alberta Hospital in Canada has found. Researchers concluded that a slightly reclined 135 degrees is the ideal position. The study analysed magnetic resonance imaging scans of 22 people with no history of back pain sitting in three positions: slouched forward, at 90 degrees, and reclined at 135 degrees, WebMD reports. Slouching was the worst. Reclining was best 'because it's similar to a neutral relaxed lying-down position', says researcher Waseem Amir Bashir. Back pain is a common cause of work-related disability and absenteeism.

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