STOP SITTING SO MUCH AND STAND UP TALL!!
I’m just going to come out with it. If you are sitting six or more hours per day, you are slowly, quietly, but very dramatically decimating your health and well-being. Eight hours or even ten per day? Forget it. This is a time bomb that is ticking. This has become such an epidemic in today’s world—yet most pay no mind to it. You really don’t hear the ticking. That is, unless you’ve already had a physical or medical incident that is a direct result of prolonged sitting. And if you’ve had said incident? You may have no clue where it originated. That’s part of the problem—you don’t actually feel it happening from day to day. It becomes an accumulation of simply poor placement of your spinal position. This all continues to build up, then finally injury or chronic discomfort and pain happen—and you have no idea of the connection. That is, until you discover this blog.
You can appear to be physically fit, yet have this structurally forward head with upper back curvature posture placement that you may not even have acknowledged. Go ahead, look in the mirror and check.
Other than your chiropractor (if you have one!) or your physical therapist, do you ever have this conversation? Ever had your doctor ask you how long you sit per day? Have you ever had your posture analyzed? Probably not. Because you can’t fix this at the pharmaceutical counter (only manage the pain with pills).
I need to sound the alarm on this. This is crucial to fix, especially in corporate America today. As you read on, take this in. And share it with your friends and loved ones. Gravity is pulling us into sickness. Poor ergonomic-related injuries and syndromes cost America well over $20 billion per year. That rises to much more once you consider its contribution to the following list. This can easily be fixed once we fully become aware.
It’s time to lay the hammer down on this.
What Actually Happens in Your Body?
- Glucose levels rise—this increases the risk of diabetes and other metabolic conditions
- You store more body fat, especially in your abdominal area. The poor posture then actually exacerbates the look and size of your waist circumference
- People sitting 10 hours daily have a 40% higher risk of heart failure
- Misalignment and damaging spinal pressures lead to chronic back pain and even herniated discs
- Decimates your core strength, which is vital for optimum and overall functional movement
- Overall, your body becomes muscularly weak. What happens? Then you lose motivation for movement
- Sitting 6+ hours per day reduces oxygen flow by 40%—and for the deconditioned, the impact is much worse
- Slows cognitive function and reactionary time
- Causes balance and stability issues
- Increases dementia risk (wonder why younger people are getting dementia?)
- The more you sit and don’t move, the higher your risk of depression, anxiety, and the intensity of both
- Sedentary lifestyle is the leading cause of all-cause mortality
- Chronic headaches leading to migraines
- Increased chronic stress
- Shallow breathing, also leading to decreased oxygen flow (leading to hypoxia)
- Impaired lung capacity—you’re literally crushing your body’s ability to breathe fully and properly
Your body is meant for locomotion. We are born to move. It’s only here in “modern” times that we have regressed into this predominant epidemic of prolonged sitting.
Take a look at this! This chart shows the actual pounds of pressure on the spine in forward head posture. Now add in the seated posture image. This is out of control. Imagine hanging a 60 lb dumbbell from your chin. We now have entire generations with actual structural forward head posture that is somewhat permanent. Children now are developing what are called “head horns,” which is an actual bone spur on the skull.
Excessive time throughout our day with phone and computer usage, driving—this is where we are living right now. Poor posture overall has become a habit. Chronic texting in forward head posture (seated and standing)? Another habit. This has never happened before throughout the evolution of humankind.
Therefore, you need to make optimum posture your new and permanent habit. Your body will adapt to new habits if you continue to reinforce them. Remember:
“We don’t get out of shape—we get out of practice.” – RR
So begin today to practice.
Now That You Know… What Do We Do? How Do You Fix This?
First of all—stand tall. Sit tall as well.
After working on posture with clients for 40+ years, I believe that in many cases, people are “shy” to stand tall. They’ve become subconsciously apprehensive or even afraid of their own power. Is that you? I promise you that when you begin to incorporate this, you will walk into a room one day with people you know and they’ll say, “Hey, wow—you look great! What have you been doing?” Reason being: your appearance and energy actually change for the better as well.
SIMPLE EXERCISES:
- Place yourself up against a wall and do 2 sets of 15 snow angels. Keep your vision focused directly forward—do not look down.
- Do shoulder circles by literally drawing a circle backward with both shoulder joints. This stretches out your pectoralis major muscles and activates your upper back. Go backwards only—you’ve done enough forward already that got you to the point of poor posture. Also 2 sets of 15 reps.
- Stand tall and lift your arms up to the side (palms facing the ceiling). As you do this, you’ll realize it’s impossible to pull your shoulders forward. Again, 2 sets of 15 reps.
- With arms straight down to your sides, simply lift your arms up to shoulder level, then draw them back down. This is another placement exercise to stretch out the pectoralis major (muscles of the chest area) and activate mid and upper back musculature. 2 sets of 15 reps.
- Make it a personal mandate to stop texting in forward head posture. Lift your phone up to eye level.
- Set alarms—at work, at home, wherever you are—to get up and walk every 30–60 minutes. (Walk tall!)
Do these in both the standing and seated positions. Do them consistently. And remember: optimum posture is a “placement”—it’s a habit. The “RR LifeLine of Action” comes into play here again: Critical Decision to become conscious and active to develop optimum posture. Creating the “good” habit of perpetually excellent and balanced posture. Driving positive momentum and energy, clarity. Which all creates your best results—your outcomes.
Big Takeaway:
Don’t be afraid to stand tall. Claim your personal power.
Poor posture? You hide your strength.
When you stand tall, as you’re meant to do? You exude your strength.
Awesome posture is an attitude and celebration of YOU- your personal power and strong self-esteem.
Move like you own it—because you do!
In Great Health,
Robert Reames
Co-creator of Revive & Sustain Wellness