Do you love reading, but find yourself struggling to keep the book open and your hands from getting tired?
When you get lost in a good book for hours and neglect your body, it’s not uncommon to find yourself sitting up incorrectly. This can result from poor posture or other factors that make reading uncomfortable.
Here are some best postures and tips that will make reading more comfortable for you. These tips will help reduce muscle fatigue and promote better blood circulation. So, whether you’re at home or on the go, these tips will help you stay comfortable and focused while you’re reading.
6 Best Postures to Read Books
Correct your overall posture when reading
The first and foremost thing to take care of while reading a book is the posture. Try reading a book in a good posture. A good posture would be; legs crossed with both feet placed on the ground, back straight without leaning against any surface and head resting on one side, preferably shoulder or neck instead of your hands. This will ensure that your head remains stable, so you are able to concentrate on the book.
Use Wedge Pillow
Try to use Wedge pillow when reading on a floor or in a bed. While lying on your back you can prop your upper body using wedge pillows.
Sitting Up Straight
For sitting up straight prop some pillows especially backrest pillow with arms behind you so that your head and neck aren’t bent uncomfortably.
Keep your hands comfortable
The second thing to take care of is your hands and fingers. Do not use them as a support for the heavy book; instead rest it comfortably in your lap and try to use a book stands to hold them. The book should be at a distance from your eyes, so that you can read it without straining your neck from being tilted too much.
Sitting On A Chair
Make sure to sit on a chair while reading a book, as compared to the floor or any other place. Sitting in a chair would ensure that your back remains straight and you avoid any kind of a back ache in the future. This would also make sure that your feet touch the ground, which is a position required for reading a book.
While reading in a chair, keep your head up straight. Then you have to find a balance between leaning back and falling over. Just be careful, you don’t want your arms to get tired from holding the book up all day long.
Choose environment wisely
Make sure that whatever environment you are reading a book in has an adequate amount of light and is clean. You should sit at a place where there is enough light so that you can read the book without straining your eyes, yet not too much light where brightness would affect your concentration.
Tips to Make Reading Posture Comfortable
Read by Lying Down
This is a very comfortable position to read when lying down since it doesn’t require you to hold up the book or keep it open with your hands. Just keep your book on your lap and enjoy reading. However, if you read in kindle or iPad then try kindle pillow pad.
Kneeling
If you’re reading a novel that doesn’t require too much focus and it’s easy to hold up, try kneeling with the book on your lap. This pose may not be as comfortable if you’re trying to read something more academic or complicated such as an engineering textbook, but for a more lighthearted read, it can be perfect.
Don’t read when you are hungry
A good way to read a book is by planning your time beforehand. You should never try to read when you are hungry or tired, as you will lose interest in the book itself. It is also important to be comfortable while reading a book, so make sure that there are no disturbances of any kind whether it is internal or external.
Give yourself a break
Reading is an excellent way to escape from reality, but don’t get too focused on the book. A good rule of thumb while reading is to take small breaks every so often and do some little walks. This will not only give your body a break from sitting in one posture for long periods; it also enhances concentration by making you curious about what’s going next – that makes reading much more interesting.
Conclusion
When reading, the right posture can make all of the difference. The postures you adopt while reading can have a significant impact on your overall reading experience. We hope that our tips might help you in improving your reading postures.