We all know that prolonged sitting is bad for us: we lose flexibility on our hips, the glutes “forget” how to activate, our back rounds and aches, shoulders tighten, head moves forward, and so on…
So if you have a job that demands you to stay in front of a computer screen for the most part of the day, what should you do? What’s the best posture?
I bet you’re thinking: sitting upright, chest up, shoulders down. But let me ask you a question: how long can you maintain that posture before your back muscles fatigue? Five, ten minutes? Maybe fifteen if you’re really strong. Well, if you can’t hold that posture for very long, how can it be the solution?
There is no “ideal posture”. The BEST posture is THE NEXT one. When you’re constantly varying your posture, different tissues in the body will be targeted, so no muscle will be maintained in the same position for many hours.
So here’s the advice: change your posture as frequently as possible. Cross one leg over the other, switch, stand up for a while, half kneel, kneel, stretch your legs under the table, and you get the idea. Do that as constantly as possible. If you have a lot of reading to do, go to the floor and do a few stretches as you read.
If you have a sit-stand desk, even better. Alternate between sitting and standing every few hours. And when you’re standing, explore different positions (legs wide, one leg in front of the other, one leg on top of the chair, etcetera). Standing in the same position for hours and hours is not much better than sitting, the key really is the constant change of position.
On top of that, anytime you stand up to get some water or go to the bathroom, do a couple stretches. Basic things like raising your arms over your head, bending over or doing some joint rotations are easy and effective ways to do it.
If you struggle with tight muscles, back pain, neck pain, those small adjustments can do wonders for you. Try it for a few days and let us know if you agree. Have a nice stretch! Willian Alba
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