The REAL Opposite of Sitting

Last week, I posted an Instagram video about the real opposite of sitting. Inspired by a fellow clinician who shared this distinction in a way that I absolutely loved, and that I think is critically important. I put my own words on it and wanted to share it with you here in case you didn't see it on social media (if you're not following along on Facebook, or Instagram, you should be! Give us a follow and like).

Sitting is a sedentary activity – your heart rate is low, you're not varying your positions much, you may be there for multiple hours without getting up and taking a break. Sitting also means that our low backs, hips, knees, and shoulders are all bent into flexed positions for the same amount of time (too long). So the opposite of sitting isn't just getting up, taking a movement break, walking a lap around the office or filling up your water bottle like many people think is enough to avoid the deleterious effects of sitting.

Instead, I’d call that 👆🏼 the opposite of being sedentary, which is a great start, but isn't quite optimized for the stress that sitting for long periods puts on the joints! 

With regards to those joints, the opposite of sitting (flexed to some degree at every major joint in the body) is to get some end-range movement into extension! 

My patients know that my first bias is to look to the joints for referral pains and both my patients and I have even seen wildly amazing benefits from some of the stupidly simple joint exercises I provide.

These are often very effective because we are moving the joints in the opposite direction than what they spend 99% of their time in (flexion, mostly) – creating “space” on the other side of the joint, countering the chronic positioning of the joints, and seeing great symptom response from things like pain, stiffness, tightness, and numb/tingly sensations!

Here’s the short video featuring a few of my favorite ways to mobilize your joints into extension and do the REAL opposite of sitting! Check it out, and as always, let me know if you have any questions I can clarify!