163: The Good Listening To Show with Chris Grimes - Episode 163163: The Good Listening To Show with Chris Grimes - Episode 163
UK Health Radio Podcast
Osteopath Alex Prince talks with host Chris Grimes about posture, long-term sitting and back health, sharing how his Zed Chair concept grew from years in clinic. The conversation blends humour and personal stories with simple, practical tips to help people sit better, move more and feel physically stronger in daily life.
47:24•4 Apr 2026
From Bad Backs to Better Days: Osteopath Alex Prince on Posture, Pain and Everyday Health
Episode Overview
- Good sitting starts with having your knees lower than your hips, helping the pelvis tip forward and the spine keep its natural S-shaped curves.
- Active sitting and taking frequent micro breaks are key; long periods of stillness in any chair are unhelpful for backs and overall comfort.
- Most back issues start once we begin spending years in standard chairs, so early awareness of posture at school and work is crucial.
- Sport, movement and time outdoors can provide mental clarity, stress relief and a strong base for physical and emotional health.
- Chairs without backs can stop the body leaning on a ‘crutch’ and instead encourage core muscles to support you more naturally.
“"Sit better but move more – we do so much sitting that if we do it badly, we’re doing something bad a lot of the time."”
How do people manage co-occurring mental and physical health issues while recovering their overall wellbeing? This chat on UK Health Radio’s Good Listening To Show focuses less on alcohol itself and more on something many people in recovery quietly struggle with: long-term back pain, endless sitting, and the knock-on effect this has on mood, resilience and everyday life.
Host Chris Grimes talks with osteopath and Zed Chair designer Alex Prince, who jokes that he’s “one of the most important numbers you can have in your phone book” because of his passion for back health and posture. You’ll hear how years of treating patients, from office workers to elite athletes, led him to realise how much harm ordinary chairs do, especially for people who already feel worn down or stressed.
Alex explains why most of us start life with beautiful posture, then lose it the moment we’re parked in tiny school chairs. He shares his simple rule for sitting well – getting your knees lower than your hips – and why his motto is, “sit better but move more”. Micro breaks, regular movement, and active sitting all become small, realistic habits that anyone can weave into a sober or healing lifestyle. This is also a very human story.
Alex talks about the influence of family, sport, a key mentor, and his late-blooming path into osteopathy after an aborted attempt at medicine. There’s humour (including a fish-for-treatment deal with his local fishmonger), reflection, and a reminder that physical alignment often mirrors life alignment. If you’re rebuilding your life, dealing with tension, or just sick of your aching back, this conversation offers practical ideas and a gentle nudge to treat your body like it matters.
Could simply changing how you sit be part of your recovery toolkit?
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