You may have noticed I seem to have an aversion to sitting on chairs and wearing shoes (more about the shoes later), and I’ve been meaning to write a blog to explain that (it’s just taken a long time for me to get around to writing it).
Below are some of the reasons I don’t like chairs much and would rather take to a giant ball.
My Spine is Happier
When we sit, there’s about a 90-degree angle at our hips and our knees; this instantly rotates the pelvis backwards, which results in a curved back and a lot of stretch through the back muscles, the ligaments and joint capsules.
When the spine is in its neutral position (an S shape from neck to sacrum), the lumbar spine (low back) is in an arched position – this position means that the muscles don’t have to work hard to keep you upright and the ligaments are supporting you.
When you introduce a curve the opposite way for a prolonged duration, your ligaments and the joint capsules are put on stretch, and your back muscles have to work harder to support you. Pain and aching are the ligaments complaining because they’re being stretched and the muscles complaining because they have to work harder.
Pain = weakness. When an area is in pain, the muscles don’t work as well.
I can still slouch on a ball, but it’s not quite as easy as sitting in a chair.
A giant ball is more fun.
Enough said.
Especially when you’re about to fall off.
I Breathe Better
The posture I described earlier also has implications for breathing. If you’re hunched over, where is the air going to go? If the air has nowhere to go, you don’t expand your lungs as much: less air = less oxygen.
No wonder we get tired and can’t think straight when we’ve been sitting for a while; we’re running on less oxygen.
Plus, the diaphragm (the muscle that keeps us breathing) attaches to your lumbar spine, so there’s a direct link between your breathing and your back.
I Can Digest My Lunch Better
The muscle that keeps you breathing (the diaphragm) has your stomach, liver, and intestines attached to it, so as you breathe, your organs get massaged. When you’re sat, you’re not breathing correctly, so you’re not digesting properly either.
The massaging of the organs when we breathe helps provide the blood flow to help us digest, assimilate, and eliminate our food. While we’re on the subject of elimination, that seated posture is about the worst one for easy evacuation of our bowels; it gives us a kink, which makes the escape route harder.
I’d much rather sit on the floor, but the ball is a compromise.
Don’t Use It; You Lose It
When you sit on a chair, you don’t use the full range of motion of your hip, knee, and ankle joints. If you don’t use it, you lose it. You lose the flexibility in those joints and the suppleness in the muscles surrounding them. The lack of movement in that range means less lubrication for the joints and less nutrition, which in the long term means they’re not as supple or healthy.
We Weren’t Designed to Sit Still
I’m lucky with my job in that I don’t have to stay still too long; I can do my paperwork sitting on the floor, on the Swiss ball, or standing, but I’m not confined to one position.
Positives for chairs…
They’re really handy for:
- Stretching your hamstrings on
- Hanging your washing over when the drying rack is full
- Standing on to change the light bulb
Ready to Move, Sit, and Breathe Better?
If your body’s feeling the strain from too much sitting, it might be time for a change—whether that’s switching your chair, improving your posture, or getting a hands-on reset.
Book an appointment with Jane at Hands On Osteo in Tauranga and let’s get your spine (and the rest of you) feeling great again.
