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How do people physically read this much? How comfortable/supportive is that chair? The only way I've been able to sustain reading for more than a half hour wit

How do people physically read this much? How comfortable/supportive is that chair? The only way I've been able to sustain reading for more than a half hour without adverse postural effects is to lie on my side with an e-reader (+ pop-socket). In fact it's the primary reason I read mostly on Kindle - to assume this posture. I've even gone as far as building a contraption which lets me lie flat underneath it, and read hand-free. The issue with both methods of lying down to read is of course that I fall asleep :) (so much so that I keep a book on my nightstand as a sleep aid). Otherwise, reading feels worse than working at a computer. I'm hunched over, similar to using a phone. Or I'm holding the book up a little higher and hold that tension in my arms/shoulders/neck.

ycombinete 3y ago
If I’m really into a book I have to change posture often, from sitting, to standing up, and even pacing while reading.
rmellow 3y ago
Serious advice: strengthen your core & hips. Your posture is largely affected by your muscles. This makes even sitting at your computer for hours on end more bearable and you'll have less back/neck pain overall - nevermind all the other positive effects of working out
makeitdouble 3y ago
For many, long books are not read in comfortable/perfect environments, they just read wherever they are for whatever time they have. In the train, at the doctor, while waiting for your meal to cook etc. In that respect having a commute helps tremendously. If you feel staying still doesn't help, moving around (or even walking around) should be fine.
hombre_fatal 3y ago
What about a position or chair that lets you lean back a little (convex) instead of slouch forward (concave)? I've always felt much better in that position than slouching forward. Though my ideal position is laying belly down on the floor (insane). I've also been known to pace circles on my patio while reading. I personally moved to audiobooks. It's slower, but made up for the fact that I can go for a walk, cook, clean the house, so it's much more time effective than sitting down to read for extended periods.
- wnolens 3y ago
  Interesting, I find audiobooks faster end-to-end as I don't re-read pages again and again. But it means i have to focus more, so I absolutely can't walk/cook/clean at the same time!
  - hombre_fatal 3y ago
    I couldn't focus on audiobooks for a long time so I avoided them for years. At some point I started listening to Youtube scary stories at night to wind down while cooking or running since it wasn't a big deal to miss out. And then I realized I could eventually maintain full concentration while multitasking and gave audiobooks another try successfully. So maybe it's a muscle you have to exercise for some of us.

ycombinete 3y ago

If I’m really into a book I have to change posture often, from sitting, to standing up, and even pacing while reading.

rmellow 3y ago

Serious advice: strengthen your core & hips. Your posture is largely affected by your muscles. This makes even sitting at your computer for hours on end more bearable and you'll have less back/neck pain overall - nevermind all the other positive effects of working out

makeitdouble 3y ago

For many, long books are not read in comfortable/perfect environments, they just read wherever they are for whatever time they have. In the train, at the doctor, while waiting for your meal to cook etc. In that respect having a commute helps tremendously. If you feel staying still doesn't help, moving around (or even walking around) should be fine.

hombre_fatal 3y ago

What about a position or chair that lets you lean back a little (convex) instead of slouch forward (concave)? I've always felt much better in that position than slouching forward. Though my ideal position is laying belly down on the floor (insane). I've also been known to pace circles on my patio while reading. I personally moved to audiobooks. It's slower, but made up for the fact that I can go for a walk, cook, clean the house, so it's much more time effective than sitting down to read for extended periods.

wnolens 3y ago
Interesting, I find audiobooks faster end-to-end as I don't re-read pages again and again. But it means i have to focus more, so I absolutely can't walk/cook/clean at the same time!
- hombre_fatal 3y ago
  I couldn't focus on audiobooks for a long time so I avoided them for years. At some point I started listening to Youtube scary stories at night to wind down while cooking or running since it wasn't a big deal to miss out. And then I realized I could eventually maintain full concentration while multitasking and gave audiobooks another try successfully. So maybe it's a muscle you have to exercise for some of us.