Then again, your backache may be due to “soft living, soft chairs, soft beds,” as one physician put it. Generally, a chair with a firm cushion and straight back is best for a person with a sedentary occupation. Try using a posture chair and sit clear back on it.

Important also is the matter of posture​—not only your stance when walking but also your posture at your job. Unless you walk erect, shoulders back, chin up​—but not like a ramrod—​you are courting back trouble. Do you needlessly assume an awkward or bent-over position at your work? Avoid that if you can. If your job requires you to stand in a certain position for long periods of time, then look for opportunities to stretch and move around some.