A Humans Solution to Pollution...: Considerations for the chronic "sitter"

According to Swedish scientists, quoted in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, "prolonged sitting should carry a public health warning". Yeah, I couldn't agree more. The amount of individuals "walking"/hobbling around looking like their stuck in a chair (a sway back is common of this), with their rib cages kissing their diaphragm and mouths grasping any free air possible, is such a common site amongst the sitting monsters amongst us.

I've been exposed to a few "chair" dominating occupations in my very short existence and with the level of sensitivity i've developed through living by my core values, I've got some practical solutions and observations to share with you in order to help you prevent the many ways in which people have become a dormant slave to their 'chair' and are ending up looking like 'pink panthers'.

Issues associated:

Musculoskeletal impacts: Crappy thoracic and scapula mobility, constant GH instability, why does my lower back hurt? take a look at where your heads resting and don't forget; why do i struggle to deposit in an Indian loo/hole…

Sitting in the stereotypical office/desk chair requires, just like standing, walking or running for the head to be placed above the hips and feet. Whilst we're moving we gain feedback from the ground up, offering our central nervous system and proprioceptors (muscle spindles and GTO's) information about where we are in space and what stance and positions are optimal to support our structures against gravity i.e. at times of danger or technical positions during 'skill' development.

Indias future…?

Though we don't get this feedback whilst sitting, and its the positions imposed by sitting in a regular chair that promote the knees to be placed in somewhat 'half' ranged flexion and partial valgus, the hip capsules to be forced into internal rotation and adduction with the pelvis being chronically posteriorly tilted. Whilst this (long term) is bad enough, the chain of effects carry on up and hang off the spine, with the lumber loosing its natural form of extension and head being shoved forward of its centre so you can grasp what your Nan has just posted on your Facebook timeline……. Anyway, the result of all that tends to look a little like this >>>>>>>>

 The effects of sitting and its impact on digestion, elimination, reproduction and your lymphatic system:
If the upper abdominals, lower abdominals and external obliques nerve attachments (neural fibres) branch off between T5-L3 (vertebrae) and share innovation with both the small and large intestine, you can bet that with an overuse or shortening of these somatic tissues that their visceral connections are going to be exposed to some degree of inhibition, potentially effecting peristalsis and 'normal' gastric motility. But even considering it from the other view, if one is sitting for extended periods without adequate movement and supportive postural setting, then the lack of influence from gravity, a sturdy lymphatic pump and mobility of tissue fluids surrounding the GI region is likely to cause a back up of waste material, as the individual keeps consuming whilst nothing keeps moving, this too will promote increased endotoxicity i.e. lipopolysaccarides i.e. a huge neurological burden to the liver and therefore leading to visceral-somatic inhibition. Reproductive health…? Yeah it doesn't look so good for that either, are we designed to limit and prevent optimal flow of essential fluids to our worshipped glands? remember these areas tell us a lot about our current 'health' status.. look after them, move them!

Neural branches and their
inovations to relating glands
and organs

A Psychological consideration : These symptoms are often overlooked as far as their relating-connection with chronic sitting is concerned. Though maybe we should also consider the environment from where we sit and what also contributes to our suppressing psyche state. I have yet to meet someone truly 'happy' that presents a rounded-kyphotic-embryo like stance that sits for 8-10 hours in a room full of florissant light and no aerial movement, the role of our psyche and emotions tend to reflect deeply within ones postural setting, gait and movement capabilities. Just like the rest of your body, your brain and CNS depends on strong blood flow, good oxygenation, and optimal glucose metabolism to work properly. Stagnation at a physiological level will often promote "pooling" within ones psychology, tending to contribute towards an imagination deficient, insecurity driven and affirmation dependant state of mind, as without the influence of movement and by sitting for an extended periods of time you'll likely just be continually contributing to a low-gravity environment i.e. increased cellular deterioration (Mental Health and Physical Activity June 2013).

Solutions

Your body gets good at the things you do the most, therefore by being irritable, standing often, altering seating position/alignmnet, stretching at the desk, eating enough sugars and by pumping the body to avoid stasis, you'll ultimately reduce the short term effects and prevent the long term physco-physcial compensations associated with our unnatural relationship with 'sitting'.

Try kneeling, lying down and or reclining: To avoid excessive lumber flexion and a future full of intra-discal pressure, switch to placing a pillow on the floor and kneeling at your desk, this way you're forced to support your posterior chain, as no back "rest" can pressure you to slope down.

Reward yourself with just 30 seconds,
loading the posterior chain, lifting
the chest, lengthening the abdomen
and promoting motility!

Loosen the "tacky" regions: This means committing to and experimenting with a routine you'll be willing to do most often. Most 'chronic sitters' will have a hard time abducting, internal rotating and extending their hips without some degree of mechanically obstructive pain around the psoas, TFL, piriformis, rectus fem regions etc.. And whilst NOT all the relating tissues are mechanically designed to be stretched no matter how hard you try, the Quads (accept rectus fem), glutes, ITB (not a muscle), pec minor etc.. (yeah thats right our anatomy just doesn't allow it), so you can do your best to avoid emotional holding patterns in these tissues i.e. don't sit if you don't have/want to and look to MOBILISE often (everyone has a choice).

Keep the rib cage high, but pelvis 'neutral':

So don't try and mimic that "try hard" health freak that occupies three seats at the train station while she taps away on her Mac air, with her green tea whilst in gross lumber extension (Donald duck style). As the header states, when sitting try not to use the back "rest", but aim to slightly tuck your pelvis (tail) under to maintain your lower backs natural groove. Keeping the rib cage high also simultaneously works to posteriorly tilt your scapulas (shoulder blades) to support ball and socket congruency at the shoulder and also promotes optimal breathing mechanics/potential. Your only as old as your spine, support it!

"Work-out" or "in" halfway through the day: When cortisol again peaks naturally around 11am or 2.30-3pm, aim to utilise the surge of 'awareness' by committing to 30-60 minutes of bodily expression! If your one that struggles with gaining nourishing sleep, then be aware that by stressing your system at night will likely turn on these "stress hormones" (glucocortisoids) of which by design, don't promote sleep.

Just because your "not at the desk", doesn't mean your not working:

Society tends to praise the ones who work themselves rugged and beyond hours necessary…

Rather look at time away from the 'chair' and 'office' environment as valuable time where you can 'work' on you, correcting mal-alignments, taking space to regulate blood sugar, open your peripherals and focus your breathing… all of which will mostly guarantee greater returns in your occupational career.