When it comes to sitting properly, we all know the drill 鈥� even if we don鈥檛 follow it to the letter. No slouching or crossed legs, buttocks touching the back of the chair and feet on the ground. But even if you are doing it right, sitting for long periods is shockingly bad for you. It has been described as the new smoking, linked to heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. There is no doubt we should all try to do less of it. But perhaps we could also do it better.
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Chances are you view sitting as synonymous with chairs. This is a peculiarly Western perspective. , published in 1953, described 100 different sitting postures adopted by 480 cultures around the world. Among the most common were sitting cross-legged, kneeling and the deep squat, with feet flat on the ground and buttocks resting on or just above it. Even in Western cultures, these are preferred sitting positions among young children. But Westerners tend to enforce chair use from an early age, strapping toddlers into buggies and insisting children sit on seats in school.
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鈥淲e might take inspiration on how to sit from traditional cultures like the Hadza鈥�
One big problem with this passion for chairs is that they make sitting so, well, sedentary. Consider the Hadza, a hunter-gatherer people in Tanzania. They . However, they squat and sit on the ground in various positions, and activity monitors reveal that this entails significant levels of muscle activity. The supportive nature of chairs, with their high backs and armrests, remove this effort 鈥� perhaps the reason that people love them.
Another problem with chairs is the toll they take on the spine. When standing, our backs naturally have an S-shaped curve. However, when sitting, many people curve their spine into a C shape, compressing the disks between their vertebrae and putting them at risk of back injuries.
鈥淣ormal chairs tend to flatten the lower part of the back, which puts more pressure on it,鈥� says Josette Bettany-Saltikov at Teesside University, UK.
So what鈥檚 the best way to sit? Bettany-Saltikov has found that kneeling or using a stool with a saddle seat can help 鈥� as does squatting. We might also take inspiration from . 鈥淯se a variety of postures and preferably not just still postures but some which allow movement,鈥� says physiotherapist Leon Straker at Curtin University, Australia.
More radically, Straker believes that we should be rethinking what it means to do a desk job. 鈥淲e will need to that enable people to be productive while being lightly active, like with under-desk cycling or walking desks,鈥� he says. For now, if your job is sedentary, don鈥檛 forget to stand up regularly and stretch your legs.
Simple changes to your everyday habits could help transform your life. Follow our guide on how to do things better:
