"Sitting down on the job" is supposed to mean taking it easy. But for the
millions who sit at their jobs all day long, sitting can be hard work, a
strain on both mind and body. In addition, in our sedentary society
recreation may mean even more of the same—sitting while watching TV or
movies. Back, neck and shoulder pain are among the many complaints
stemming from prolonged sitting.
The most commonly
prescribed solutions to these problems are regular exercise and a good
chair. However, these remedies ignore the most important factor for
sitting comfort: how one sits, that is, the postural and movement
efficiency maintained while seated.
Our Feldenkrais
classes, and lessons taught in the Relaxercise book and tape series, teach
the art of dynamic, stress-free sitting. The lessons are easy and fun to
do, and the principles can be readily applied.
The first principle
of "dynamic" sitting is that sitting is an activity, full of movement and
life. Consequently, good posture doesn't mean being planted in a fixed,
upright position, but sitting in a way that allows free movement in any
direction. You can check whether you are sitting dynamically by examining
your ability to move. Without altering your posture:
1) Can you turn to
the right and left? Only erect posture permits the spine to rotate freely
to the right and left.
2) Can you breath
freely into both your chest and abdomen? In dynamic sitting the chest
hangs from the spine in such a way that breathing is effortless, and the
abdominal muscles are relaxed so that the diaphragm and the abdomen can
move freely.
If your sitting
satisfies these requirements, then it certainly fulfills the second
principle of dynamic sitting: your skeleton, and not your musculature,
should do the primary work of holding you upright. Skeletal support allows
your entire musculature to be free of tension. In order to check whether
you are properly relying on your skeleton, observe:
1) Are both feet
flat on the floor? The leg muscles must be relaxed, and the bones of the
legs—from the thighs down to the feet should help to create stability and
hence relaxation in the upper body.
2) Are you sitting
evenly on both buttocks? Sitting assymetrically on one hip is the cause of
much strain. With the weight of the body carried over both sit bones, the
back doesn't have to work as hard.
3) Is your lower
back rounded or slightly arched? Contrary to common belief, the flattest
lower back is not the healthiest. A slightly arched lower back offers
better support and reduces pressure on the discs.
4) Are you leaning
back in your chair or sitting forward in your seat? Most people slump when
leaning back (partly due to the poor construction of chairs), causing
muscular stiffness and strain on discs and ligaments. While sitting
forward you rely on your spine and back muscles to support you. This
strengthens your back muscles and minimizes disc pressure. If you must
lean back, place a pillow behind the small of your back so that a healthy
arch is maintained.
In our increasingly
information and service-oriented economy, most people are likely to remain
"sitting down on the job." For anyone who does sit for long periods of
time, learning to sit dynamically should be a high priority for good
health and well-being.
