There is an 87% chance that you are sitting while you are reading this. How do I know? Because, in our culture, we sit to do everything! Think about it. We get up in the morning, sit down to eat breakfast, check Facebook and drink coffee. Then we sit down to drive to work (unless you own a Segway in which case there are other issues we should talk about), sit down to work, sit down to eat lunch, sit down to use the restroom and sit down again to check Facebook. Then, we sit down to drive home, sit down to eat dinner, sit down to watch TV and sit down to check Facebook again. Then at last, we go to bed and FINALLY get to lie down and relax. Welcome to the average American daily grind. Except the only things grinding in this scenario are your cheeks on the seat. Sitting is the new smoking, only studies show that it is worse! In her book “Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement,” Katy Bowman explains: “Every single thing our bodies do requires movement—initiated by our musculoskeletal system—to be performed with ease. Digestion, immunity, reproduction—all of these functions require us to move. You can eat the perfect diet, sleep eight hours a night, and use only baking soda and vinegar to clean your house, but without the loads created by natural movement, all of these worthy efforts are thwarted on a cellular level, and your optimal wellness level remains elusive.” The health benefits are many, this is a short list of them: 1. Standing keeps your joints healthy. 2. Standing helps prevent injuries. 3. Standing decreases compression on spinal discs. 4. Standing burns calories. 5. Standing maintains stability in hip joints. 6. Standing prevents neck tension and keeps shoulders stable. 7. Standing helps keep nutrients moving through the body and to the brain.
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AuthorLiving, Working, and Playing in the Sierra Mountains. Helping to create: Life, Health, and Community. Archives
January 2023
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