Sitting and the damage done to most of us through hours of sitting at desks, computers and in cars, is a healthcare problem.
It’s tough on the hip joints, lousy on posture and breathing, and contributes to back, hip, knee, neck and shoulder pain. Many people don’t even realize that they’re probably not breathing correctly, or as fully as you could in order to be healthy.
I saw a video clip of an interview between Donald Rumsfeld and Piers Morgan in which Morgan expresses his
chagrin at how “odd” it is that Rumsfeld doesn’t sit at his desk – but stands instead. Rumsfeld responds,
“Why do you act like that’s odd? Sitting is weird!”
Bravo. Now I’m not sure whether Morgan was putting on an act or not, but he added to his “this proves that Donald Rumsfeld is definitely “weird” list, Rumsfeld’s daily ritual of exercise:
“At 78 years old?! Why do you still work out?”
Rumsfeld’s attitude is excellent: sit infrequently and move as much as you can. Now, putting politics aside, I have to say that with his attitude about health, Rumsfeld should probably have gone into the health profession. Age has nothing to do with whether or not one should stop moving.
In developing countries like India and Africa, not moving isn’t an option. Adults move because there is work to be done, not because they want a work out, as does Rumsfeld. Chances are many of these people are stronger and more physically resilient than your average American.
Sitting in a chair at right angles for long periods of time can create tight hip joints, rigid back muscles and neck, shoulder and back spasms. When we sit at work, rarely are we relaxed. I know I’m not. I tend to stand at my kitchen counter when I do online sessions with clients.
If you are someone who is always rushing around, which causes the back muscles to contract strongly (the Green Light Reflex or Landau Response), you’ll pitch yourself forward and over-arch the lower back when seated. This will cause the hip flexors to contract to keep you upright. They stay tight until given the signal to relax. When you get up you’ll stand up from your chair slowly because the front of your hips will still be contracting.
If you tend to slouched while seated (Red Light Reflex), you will collapse in the middle of your body as the abdominals contract tightly. This will cause your breathing to be shallow rather than relaxed. This rounded posture, which rounds the pelvis under, and causes what is now called “head forward posture,” is a sure-fire recipe for back and neck pain.
Why sitting is no good for you
- decreased circulation
- decreased creativity due to lack of movement
- tighter hips, due to habituation to sitting with an over-arched lower back or slumping
- shallower breathing
Why standing is better
- increased ability to move the entire body as much as you want
- increased ability to imbed learning and memory (movement causes the brain to release BDNF)
- improved posture and proprioception (body awareness)
- improved breathing due
- increased circulation
- improved muscle tone due
Try it out if your workplace is amenable to such an experiment. Notice your own patterns of posture and movement. Relax your belly when you breath and notice how much better that feels. Make sure your weight is evenly distributed and that you can easily shift your weight from side to side.
Some of the basic Somatic Exercises can even be done standing (Arch & Curl, Reach to the Top Shelf, the arm movements of the Washrag). Or you can create your own – if you do, please share them with me so I can share them with my readers.
Pain Relief Through Movement 
I just realized that many of the desks that I have seen in pre-1800s houses/businesses had standing desks. The desks have that slant top as you show in your picture.
I would like to know the historical significance of why they had standing desks instead of sitting desks. Not enough room for another chair in the house? Why did the trend change?
Keep these great articles coming!
There was a recent article in Scientific American, which highlighted a potential connection between pain and reduced productivity in the workplace:
“Chronic pain can shrink the volume of the brain’s gray matter, the portion of the brain devoted to thought. Researchers speculate that this decrease results in part from a limited pattern of stimulation of circuits that are preoccupied with a continuous pain loop that crowds out other activity.”
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=chronic-pain-report
Anyone with chronic pain will tell you that it can be extremely difficult to focus on anything else. Those frequent trips to the water cooler may actually be therapeutic!
Ben, this is great information!! Thanks so much for the link, too. Maybe another explanation is that when you’re in pain you usually don’t breathe deeply. Sometimes the muscles of breathing are too contracted to allow for proper oxygenation. This can keep you in a sympathetic nervous system state (fight or flight), raising your anxiety and decreasing your creativity, and inhibiting all sorts of other functions in the body….
Thanks for the comment!
Martha
I’d like to know more about the history of “sitting” as well – cool topic. Industrial Age bringing in more repetitive movements like assembly lines & middle management? Before that, who was sitting all day long?
I’m not sure how I feel about Rumsfeld being smart about something. 😀
Loved the post. I stand at work and have for 19 years. I know for a fact that it is much better for my health. Great topic, limit the seat time and keep moving.
So glad you enjoyed the post. Yes, being up on one’s feet and moving is hands down the best thing for one’s health. It’s too easy to get sloppy in your posture when you sit and you can just feel the drop in energy level. Thanks for following my blog!