It’s well established that Individuals spend too much time sitting, and that actually isn’t anyone individual’s fault; society makes it arduous to not.
Many individuals work desk jobs the place they sit for eight-plus hours every day, plenty of of us commute in automobiles or trains for hours every week and most of the people stay in areas that require them to sit down down and drive from level A to level B as a substitute of strolling.
Sadly, sitting in a single place an excessive amount of can tighten up our joints and weaken our mobility. One technique to fight the detrimental results of sitting, although, is by moving into totally different positions, together with mendacity (and sitting) on the ground.
Rising flexibility and mobility by mendacity or sitting on the ground — or, transferring round usually — might help you keep away from joint ache, stated Jennifer Kostik-Johnson, a bodily therapist at West Virginia College Well being System.
There are additionally different advantages to getting your self right down to the bottom every now and then (so long as you safely can). Right here’s what to know:
Mendacity on the ground in your abdomen might help fight the tightness that comes from sitting all day lengthy.
“Our hip flexors get tight once we sit,” stated Rachel Prusynski, a bodily therapist and spokesperson for the American Bodily Remedy Affiliation.
And also you most likely spend a lot of the day sitting down, whether or not at work, on the sofa or within the automobile. “Mendacity in your flooring in your abdomen is form of the alternative of that,” she added.
“It stretches out these hip flexors. It will get our low again and our hips into extension, and it’s simply one thing that we don’t in any other case do if we’re not mendacity on the bottom or mendacity on our abdomen,” Prusynski stated.
Mendacity on the ground can also be an effective way to maneuver your total physique.
Based on Prusynski, getting up and down off the bottom is an effective way to check your mobility because it makes use of almost each joint within the physique.
It requires ankle motion, hip motion, hip power and extra, along with the flexibility to elevate your physique towards gravity, she stated.
Since it really works a lot of your physique, in case you do discover getting right down to the ground and as much as the ground a problem, Prusynski stated it’s best to see a bodily therapist who can watch your motion to see what’s holding you again.
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It’s additionally vital for fall restoration.
“Getting up from the ground [is] essential if we’re older and take a fall,” stated Kostik-Johnson. If you know the way to correctly rise up and get right down to the ground, you’ll be extra doubtless to have the ability to get your self up in case you do take a tumble.
Whereas bodily therapists work on fall restoration and fall prevention, it’s true that falls do nonetheless occur, which makes this posture an vital one to observe, added Prusynski.
Mendacity on the ground is vital, however posture selection is much more vital.
Mendacity on the ground has clear advantages on your mobility and well being, however it isn’t the be-all, end-all place. Whereas it may be an amazing motion so as to add to your day by day routine, it shouldn’t be the one one.
“Bodily exercise wants selection,” stated Prusynski. That is how we stop damage and keep cell via life. And the identical goes for posture; you shouldn’t spend all day mendacity on the bottom, sitting in a chair, standing up or doing anyone posture.
Whereas these actions aren’t unhealthy to do on their very own, they shouldn’t be the one posture you end up in. ”
“There isn’t any unhealthy posture. The most effective posture is the following posture,” stated Prusynski. Which means, be sure to transfer round all through the day and go from sitting to working at a standing desk to mendacity in your abdomen and past.
Being sedentary is a much bigger drawback than any not-so-great posture, she famous, and you may develop pains like again ache from staying nonetheless an excessive amount of.
“Altering positions all through the day is so useful,” Prusynski added.
If there are particular positions you’ll be able to’t get into safely, that’s OK. Do what works for you.
“A few of our older of us most likely can’t get down on the ground safely and get again up, so actually, what they should focus usually on is simply normal mobility,” stated Kostik-Johnson.
We spend hours and hours sitting each day and that locks up your pelvis and hips and results in total stiffness, Kostik-Johnson added.
“And we all the time sit with again help, usually, or lean again in our recliner, and that doesn’t assist with our core power. That really helps weaken our core,” Kostik-Johnson stated.
Transferring round as a lot as you’ll be able to helps fight this by working your mobility and power.
However you shouldn’t attempt to get right down to the bottom by yourself if in case you have a historical past of falls, mobility points or sure well being situations.
When you’ve got a historical past of falls, mobility points or haven’t gotten right down to the ground (or up from the ground) in a while, it’s best to work with a bodily therapist to get to this lying-on-the-ground posture safely, stated Prusynski.
You must also discuss to a bodily therapist earlier than diving in if in case you have arthritic knees or circulatory issues in your legs, added Kostik-Johnson.
Furthermore, in case you simply haven’t laid down on the bottom in a while, it’s best to observe it with somebody close by to allow them to assist you to up in case you want it. Or, be sure to have a sofa or chair shut by which you could seize on to for help, stated Kostik-Johnson.
You must also rise up from the bottom and right down to the bottom slowly to keep away from lightheadedness or damage, Prusynski added.
So long as you’re in a position to lie on the bottom safely, it must be a aim posture to get into and out of as we age, Prusynski famous. Should you’re ready, contemplate this purpose sufficient to lie down on the bottom throughout your subsequent name — your mobility will thanks.
The unique model of this story was printed on HuffPost at an earlier date.
