“Once you have read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you.”
One of the most underappreciated parts of a positive reading experience is the posture you employ when immersing yourself in the pages. Reading has been shown to stimulate audiences in a much more profound way than simply watching something on a screen from the comfort of your own home, however, you’re in the right position to properly absorb the words you reading and not risk an injury in the process is not always as straightforward as one would first think. Join us here at What We Reading as we take you through some of the best reading positions for your next session with a book!
What’s The Best Reading Position?
The first thing to remember when it comes to reading is that it requires concentration. We’ve explored previously how factors such as listening to music can either help or hinder your concentration, and the same is very much the case with your reading position. If you’re not comfortable, your brain and body will naturally pour attention to that rather than the words on the page.
Alternatively, a more natural, comfortable position has been shown to improve your focus.
From your designated spot by the window to being curled up under a mountain of duvets, let’s dive into some of the best reading positions!
Seated Positions
Whether it be at school or college, on public transport or simply on your sofa at home, the vast majority of people read books in a sitting position. However, here’s how different kinds of seats can bring different kinds of benefits for readers:
Sitting On A Chair
Being seated on a chair provides a sturdy and comfortable experience for reading. Some of the key factors to consider when it comes to choosing the right chair include:
- Ergonomics: Sitting upright with a straight back promotes good posture. This position aligns the spine and reduces the strain on a reader’s neck, shoulders and back.
- Comfort: Most chairs come with a sturdy frame and a padded back, which can provide a far more comfortable experience for longer reading sessions.
- Adjustability: Certain chairs come with features that can be customised such as the armrests, seat height or lumbar support, allowing for readers to adjust depending on their body type and preferences.
Sitting On A Sofa
For a more comfy, relaxed setting, reading on a sofa is the perfect go-to. Some of the key points to bear in mind:
- Comfort: With soft padding and plenty of cushions to snuggle up against, sofas are designed with comfort over a prolonged period of time in mind.
- Flexibility: Cross-legged? Feet over the edge? Completely sprawled out? The choice is yours with a sofa!
- Support: Sofas naturally don’t promote a good posture as much as a chair, however, throwing on more pillows or cushions is a great way of ensuring you are getting as much lumbar support as possible.
Pros And Cons Of Reading While Sitting
Pros
- Comfort: Chairs and sofas are designed to be sat on for long periods of time. They offer stability and support.
- Ergonomics: Promoting a good posture, and reading while sitting also helps prevent eye, back and neck strain.
Cons
- Fatigue: Sitting down for long periods of time tends to lead to restlessness or even feelings of tiredness.
- Flexibility (or lack of): The limited amount of mobility options raises the dangers of muscle stiffness.
Ultimately, whether you choose to read on a chair or on a sofa is entirely down to personal preference. Undoubtedly one of the most popular places for a reading session, this tried-and-test reading position comes with a good amount of plus points when it comes to both comfort and support for your posture.
Lying Positions
Lying down is the universal symbol of unwinding and relaxation. Whether it be in bed or on a sofa, this position of chilling out has become a popular position for reading, and there are a number of reasons why.
Lying In Bed
- Cosiness: Buried underneath a duvet and with an arsenal of pillows around you provides a feeling of cosiness and the ultimate reading nook for some.
- Flexibility: Either propping your upper body against the frame or adjusting your legs means that lying down is one of the best ways of fighting muscle stiffness or fatigue whilst reading.
- Relaxation: Familiarity is one of the biggest advantages of reading in bed. Your bed promotes a soothing feeling of safety and relaxation, allowing you to immerse yourself in a book.
Lying On A Sofa
There are also a number of unique benefits to reading whilst lying down on a sofa. Here are a few to bear in mind:
- Versatility: Depending on your preference, you have the option of lying on your back, side or stomach when it comes to lying on a sofa.
- Lounging around: Not only do sofas provide a comfortable surface to lie on, but stretching out allows readers to find a position that supports your back.
- Armrests: Most sofas come with armrests that can be used for extra support and a more comfortable reading experience.
Pros And Cons Of Reading While Lying Down
Pros
- Comfort: Lying down offers the ultimate comfort experience. Perfect for unwinding, lying down allows readers to fully immerse themselves in the book they are enjoying.
- Flexibility: Unlike sitting on a chair, there are a wealth of different options available when it comes to lying down. Switching up positions allows readers to combat fatigue and muscle stiffness.
Cons
- Posture: Lying in one position for a prolonged period of time can lead to discomfort or tension in the neck and back. To combat this, readers should take regular breaks where they get up and stretch.
- Focus (or lack of): Lying is synonymous with sleeping, especially when in bed. Reading while lying down can lead to drowsiness, leading to a lack of focus on what someone is reading.
Alternative Positions For Reading
From reading stands to sitting on the floor, it’s completely personal preference how someone wants to enjoy a book. If sitting or lying down isn’t your cup of tea, here are some alternative positions for reading:
Using A Reading Stand
- Hands-free reading: A reading stand offers a unique hands-free reading experience, which some people absolutely adore.
- Versatility: Reading stands can be adjusted in their heights and angles depending on whether a reader is lying or sitting, offering them complete versatility in finding the optimal position.
- Ergonomics: Reading stands such as book holders or tablet stands help keep the material at eye level, reducing strain on the neck and promoting better posture.
Sitting On The Floor
- Stability: When paired with a mat or cushion, sitting on the floor can provide readers with a stable base to read from.
- Flexibility: Sitting on the floor gives readers much more space to work with, allowing them to swap between sitting cross-legged, stretching out, kneeling or lying down.
- Posture: Often without support, sitting on the floor promotes the most natural posture, making it easier to maintain a natural spine alignment.
Standing Up
- Mobility and active engagement: Standing helps readers stay alert and engaged with what they are reading. By switching between sitting and standing, readers can move around more, shifting and stretching to improve comfort and avoid fatigue.
- Postural variety: Alternating between sitting and standing also helps combat the health risks highlighted above that come with prolonged periods of sitting down.
Reading Under A Blanket
- Nostalgia and wonder: There’s just something magical about reading under a blanket, isn’t there? Whilst for the majority of us it invokes nostalgic memories of our childhoods with the lights off and a lamp before bedtime, there are still adults out there who feel the magic of a Fantasy novel is added to when buried under the fabric of their favourite blanket.
- Escapism: The dimmed lights and closed-off setting never fail to whisk readers into the heart of what they’re reading. This intimate space can allow a reader’s imagination to thrive, and the added illumination of a lamp or torch draws focus onto the pages, making the book the centre of attention.
Which Reading Position Is Best?
As with anything to do with reading, the best reading positions ultimately come down to personal choice. We can all tell when we feel most immersed and comfortable when we’re reading, and being in a position that we enjoy is the best way of ensuring you’re giving a book the best chance of leaving an impression.
There are pros and cons to every position, but reading with good habits will guarantee that the former massively ends up outweighing the latter!
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
