Unfortunately, for so many of us, most of the day is spent sitting still on one chair, in one place, with minimal movement, staring at one screen. This can be a major catalyst for many physical complaints, injuries, and long-term body malfunctions. Therefore, a new term “active sitting” was released into our lives, with extensive science and research going into different ways of sitting, how to keep moving while we sit and the best movements to assist your body after long periods of sitting.
The main problem with sitting...
The human body is programmed to move, it needs to be active, stimulated and challenged, daily. If we spend most of our waking hours sitting, it is inevitable that our health will suffer. A lack of movement makes the central nervous system sluggish, it weakens muscles, decreases fat burning potential, causes fatigue and even increases risks of heart related diseases, as well as obvious postural deformities. Studies show, even people with healthy body weight have negative effects caused by prolonged periods of sitting, leading to possible diabetes and heart disease.
“Active sitting” or “dynamic sitting” is recommended by most health professionals, and is the term related to a seat that allows the occupant to move. It is evident that flexibility and mobility, while sitting, is beneficial to the human body; movement throughout the day is essential for health and body maintenance, therefore a chair that makes this accessible should be a necessity in the workplace. (Not just the lumbar support cushion).
Saying all of this, it is extremely unlikely employers are about to run out and buy everyone fancy new office chairs, so it is important that we all take responsibility to be proactive in movement throughout the day. Whether that be standing up a few times an hour, tensing and releasing muscle groups, extending, and flexing legs and arms in different directions, rolling shoulders, bracing the core, consciously maintaining good posture, or walking the longest possible way to the bathroom.
If you are feeling brave, why not buy an exercise ball to sit on at the office (much easier if you work from home, admittedly). Sitting on an exercise ball improves posture, increases core stability, and enables you to constantly move across different planes of motion (in different directions) throughout the day, while at your desk. Just be careful not to have too much bouncy fun and land us all in trouble!
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