Good Posture On The Wheel

One of the biggest things that you need to keep in mind as a potter is to watch your posture when working on the wheel. Bad posture can result in the following:

• Stress in your legs and feet

• Injury to your wrists

• Creation of a carpal tunnel

• Injury to your fingers

• Back pain and headaches

Remember to sit at the level of the wheel head, or higher. But don’t be super arched over. Keep your back straight, your arms locked together, and make sure that your body is comfortable. If you feel that you are hunching over, you can use a mirror to check your profile.

Options for maintaining good posture when wheel throwing include: some people throw standing up, others like to do it with a chair in a different position, some raise the seat of the wheel or the wheel itself, some like to stand against a wall to brace their body and have more strength, some swear by standing on a foam rubber mat as it reduces the stress on their feet and legs. So you see you have many options.

The best thing to do is to be aware of your throwing posture, and if it hurts, take care of the problem right away, don’t let the pain continue. Throwing shouldn’t cause any pain or discomfort. Below are some examples of ways you can heighten your position or wheel in order to maintain good posture.

courtesy of spinningpots.com