Which Position Do You Prefer Reading A Book?

We've often discussed the problem of discontinuous reading. We know that the main cause is often not having enough time to immerse oneself in a book. However, daily commitments like work, family, and social obligations aren't the sole culprits. According to a curious and interesting investigation (see link at the bottom of the post), another reason for fragmented reading lies in the “difficulty” of finding a truly comfortable reading position. Luke Winkle, the author of the investigation, states: “[...] humanity has not yet found an ergonomic way to assimilate the written word”.

Every Position Has Its Pains

Apparently, no matter which reading position you choose, after a while, a part of your body will start begging for mercy. For example, if you are:

1. Lying on your back, book above your head: your arms will tingle;
2. Sitting in an armchair, book in your lap: your neck will torment you (or, if the armchair is particularly comfortable, reading will give way to a delightful nap. An effect personally tested during years of boring and verbose university textbooks, editor's note);
3. Lying on your stomach, on a bed or sofa: practically a plank but without the muscle benefits, just suffering.
4. Sitting at a table or desk: great for a flat and tingling backside, assuming your arms can find an optimal position (far from guaranteed).
5. Bent in a geometrically creative way: meaning if you tend to assume positions that defy all known laws of physics, finding new and original applications to the very idea of lines and diagonals in geometry. Excellent solutions for distributing pain and soreness across different parts of your body. Because if you have to suffer, you might as well suffer thoroughly and everywhere.

But Why Do We Suffer?

Explaining why we feel discomfort, unease, or even pain during a reading session in a particular posture is very simple, as the cause stems from the human body's anatomical structure: our body was not designed to stay in the same position for very long. If you think about it, it doesn't even happen during sleep. Our body tends to move after a while because, when we assume a position, mechanoreceptors in our organism activate. These sensory receptors in our nervous system register and reprocess mechanical stimuli like touch, vibrations, and pressure, transforming them into nerve impulses that act as “signals”: essentially, when we assume uncomfortable positions, such as those that involve “crushing” a part of the body or continuous and constant pressure, mechanoreceptors send a signal to the nervous system, which prompts us to change posture.

Pleasure in Pain

Some have tried to offer a positive motivation and justification for discomfort and annoyance, asserting that unease helps maintain concentration during reading. While this may be true, it completely negates the effect of surrender, immersion, and relaxation that should be the desired and pleasant consequences of a good book. Reading should represent an escape from the daily grind, from real problems; it should lead the reader to dive completely into the universe enclosed within the pages of the volume and travel with imagination. Pains and aches prevent immersion, and no matter how much one tries to ignore them, after a while, they plunge the reader back into the harsh (and sore) daily reality.

What is the Best Reading 'Position'?

If the causes of pain are clear, so are the remedies. Some have been known for a long time, others are dictated by common sense. But there's no shortage of technological and innovative solutions. Just as lecterns are commonly used for public reading (during a reading or conference, for example), there are also tabletop bookstands, which greatly reduce the discomfort of desk reading. If you don't want to resort to support tools, focusing on balance and common sense remains an excellent solution: when reading, it's always useful and healthy to get up occasionally and “stretch out”. This helps the body readjust, so you can resume reading after a few minutes with renewed pleasure. There are also more hi-tech solutions, especially for those who love digital reading, such as e-book reader stands with flexible arms that can be attached to various surfaces, allowing you to position the reader at the most comfortable distance based on your assumed position. You don't even need to use your hands to turn pages on the touch screen; just click a small Bluetooth button, and you're all set. But technology has gone even further, merging e-readers and smart glasses: there are now actual VR glasses on the market dedicated to e-book reading, which allow you to read in any position by turning pages with touch commands or even a smart ring, thus eliminating the posture problem at the root. There are also solutions that, thanks to AI, transform text into audio for audiobook lovers and the visually impaired. These are cutting-edge solutions that, unfortunately, exclude lovers of traditional paper reading. But, if you think about it, no innovation can ever replace the pleasure of flipping through a good book. And if discomfort is the price to pay, true passionate readers have no qualms about settling it. To the delight of their osteopath.