Are bean bags good for your back?

There are a few reasons why someone might want to consider getting themselves or their kids a bean bag. Often, it’s a novelty for young kids to have somewhere playful to sit that isn’t as boring as sitting at the dinner table. Or perhaps as a college student, they want somewhere comfortable that they can play video games.

But, these aren’t the only reasons that you might want to consider a bean bag. There’s actually a few reasons why you might want to consider one of these anyway, but there are many people with back pain that may benefit from getting a decent bean bag.

And the truth is, many people wonder whether a soft bean bag chair could be the difference between them having a bad backache for the day and making it through comfortably. So, it begs the question; are bean bags good for your back, or bad for it? Well, there are a few things that you’ll want to consider.

Bean Bags – A Lack of Back Support

One of the main things that you’ll want to think about is the activities that you’re going to be doing in your bean bag. If you’re going to be trying to work, then undoubtedly a bean bag isn’t going to be your best option. Why? Well, bean bags undeniably lack the ability to support your back. This is one of the main reasons that I think if you’re looking for something with greater back support, then a foam filled chair might prove to be a better option.

However, it’s not just bean bags that may be bad for your back – there a lot of research that suggests that most chairs aren’t great for you, and that sitting should be just one of your daily movements. So, although bean bags may not prove to be the best thing for your back, they still have their place in your household if you so wish.

The reality is that bean bags are not as good for your back as many bean bag sellers would have you believe. A bean bag doesn’t conform to your body shape any better than a good sofa or a foam mattress, so you shouldn’t go out and buy a bean bag if you think it’s going to cure your back pain.

Other things you can do to help your back

If your back is in pain or you want to prevent this, there are other things that you can do that will have a greater effect than using a bean bag or any chair, for that matter. Here are a couple of tips that you might want to consider if you’re trying to ensure your back stays in good shape.

• Lose a little weight – Being just a little overweight can actually have a massive effect on the pressure on your back. This is especially true for the lower back, which is effected by any excess pressure e.g. excess weight. Research shows that the more overweight you are, the more likely you are to experience this. So, if you are having back problems, then losing a few pounds could be a good start.
• Exercise – Exercise is another of the most recommended ways to deal with back pain. There are a ton of good exercises that you can do at home, especially if you get lower back pain. There are an abundance of different exercises that you can do to improve your back, so it’s certainly worth considering if you’re dealing with back pain.
• Manage your posture – Managing your posture on a daily basis is another way that you can deal with this. Poor posture is actually one of the most common causes for back pain, especially when you’re sitting. So, just being mindful about the way that you sit can be a good start into alleviating any back pain that you might be experiencing.

Conclusion

So, it’s relatively easy to see that bean bags do have their place within your home if you’re dealing with back pains. Whilst they’re not particularly practical for working, they can be good if you’re just lounging around doing nothing. They can also be fine for gaming and reading, but for anything more than this, you might want to look at something with greater back support.