Wiser Ways to Sit
“Sitting is the new smoking” is a saying that everyone knows nowadays but what exactly does that mean and more importantly, is it really true? Lets dive in…
Ultimately, no, sitting is not as directly harmful as smoking, but if done improperly (I'll elaborate shortly, but it has nothing to do with your posture) it can contribute to aches and pains, weight gain, loss of mobility, and a general feeling of shittiness. There is nothing wrong with sitting, after all, our early ancestors weren’t only alternating between laying and standing, with nothing between. They sat on stumps, rocks, the ground, pillows or cushions, and soon after, chairs made of rigid wood or metal.
The difference between the ways they sat and the ways we currently sit are drastically different in terms of comfortability and therefore variety. The ways our ancestors took a “load off” and rested were far less comfortable than a lazy-boy or the hyper-ergonomic desk chair that sits in many offices and cubicles. This forced people to seek a comfortable position for much shorter stretches of time and when the position they were in became uncomfortable, they shifted and moved. Modern sitting, however, is all plush cushions and external supports, which lets all the supportive and postural structures and tissues of the body relax completely, which is absolutely lovely sometimes, but can also decondition those muscles and tissues if done too often and for too long. Many people have no issues sitting on a couch (where I’ve been sitting for the last 40 minutes typing this email), in a recliner, or an office chair for 2-3 hours as they zone in on a project or surf social media mindlessly, but how long do you think you’d last on the floor? Likely not longer than 2-3 minutes without needing to fidget and shift.
Modern comfort is amazing but it isn't without its pitfalls - in the form of the sedentary and deconditioned postural muscles and joints mentioned above, decreased blood flow, and in fewer calories burned. So let's get you up and out of that chair, restoring your body’s ability to move and support itself in a variety of positions that the human body should be capable of. And with that, here are 3 things to consider that might help you sit better.
Use a sticky note reminder - Many people zone-in for long stretches of time and plow from one task, meeting, or email to the next during their day, knowing in the back of their head they should take a break, stand, stretch their legs, use the bathroom, stop by Greg’s office to see how his vacation was…but without a conscious reminder they don't break as often as they should (at least once every 90-120 minutes). Write a note on a bright sticky note and put it on your laptop or monitor to remind you to get up and take breaks more often.
Use it or lose it - watching a baby or toddler move is truly fascinating, they can sit in a deep squat for minutes as they play, a position that many of us haven't felt since we were that age and roll around on the floor with ease. When we start grade school and begin sitting at desks for hours at a time, our joints learn that we don't use that deep squat range of motion, so why keep it? Our ankles, hips, and low backs get stiff and lose the ability to access those positions as older kids, teens, and adults, but this can be restored with some hard work. Accessing as many different positions as you can during the day will help you maintain any range of motion you currently have, and unlock ones you haven't known for a while. Do this by spending a bit of time on the floor, sit criss-cross-applesauce, kneel, squat as best you can, one leg over the other - again, you likely won't feel comfortable in one position for too long and will be forced to find the next comfortable position.
Use a lumbar roll - I am a realist, I know it's not practical for you to take Zoom meetings, do spreadsheet reviews, and vary sitting positions while driving long distances. In that case, I often suggest people use a lumbar roll to keep the low back supported and out of the overly forward-flexed position (what people typically think of as the “bad posture”) that it’s in all day, every day. Again, variety is key and this tool allows you to support a little higher, a little lower, take it out, put it back in, every 15-20 minutes or as you see fit, while still sitting in your desk or car. Here’s a link if you're interested, or swing by the office where I keep them in stock and you can test drive the standard vs. the firm density.