Get Fit While You Sit

Whether you're a 9-5 executive or a busy blogger-mom, 

chances are this has become a tired asana:

In fact hours of sitting at a desk is not only uncomfortable, it's detrimental to health and longevity.  Standard chairs simply don't provide for enough movement. The pelvis is in a "locked-down" position, while the back and upper legs are also held in an unnaturally rigid posture.

A study by the Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina found that sitting more than six hours a day increases your risk of heart disease alone by up to 64%. Other studies have turned up similar increases for other diseases, such as stroke and cancer high blood pressure, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol. These dire correlations make sense when you consider the way prolonged sitting impacts almost every system in the body. When we are sitting we are not--uh hum--moving, or at least not very much. And movement is essential for optimum functioning of almost all our body's systems.

For example, when we sit brain function slows in response to a less energetic movement of oxygen and fresh blood. Sluggish blood flow can also give fatty acids more time to clog the heart and lead to a host of circulation problems, usually manifesting in the extremities. Of course, it's no surprise that lengthy periods of siting are not healthy for the skeletal system, often resulting in strained neck, tight back and disk damage. If all that weren't enough, excessive sitting also predisposes one to obesity and muscle degeneration.

The obvious option--standing up and moving around a bit--is the best solution and should be employed first and foremost. 10-12 minutes of standing for every hour of sitting is a good rule of thumb. A few companies (mostly in the high-tech world) have taken that recommendation even further:

Standing desks have been spotted at Google, Facebook, Twitter, AOL, and AT&T, to name a few. But sometimes constant standing can be almost as bad (back issues and pooling blood) and it's certainly not always practical or productive.

For those times an exercise (or stability) ball proves a novel and very effective alternative!

 

 

Office ball photos from: Home Design Game

When you sit on a movable (unstable) surface your body has to make numerous and constant adjustments. Your spine is forced into alignment. Your core is held firm while the pelvis rotates and twists in minute circles. The soles of your feet roll back and forth and side to side. You can actually push backwards or forwards and roll to reach the phone or pencil. And when someone knocks on the door behind you, the torso turns into a most lovely Ardha Matsyendrasan.


But ball chairs shouldn't be reserved for grown-ups!  The concept works beautifully in the classroom and home school as well! It's becoming increasingly common to see an entire roomful of students peacefully bobbing and swaying on colorful, custom-inflated balls, quietly focused on their work.

In an article published at TheAlternativePress.com, G. Chang details several outstanding advantages of nixing chairs in favor of fitness balls:

Brain research has shown that there is a link between movement and positive academic performance. Sitting on balls makes a student sit up straighter which increases blood flow to the brain and all parts of the body. Combining movement and increasing blood flow should result in the ability to stay on task throughout the day and thus, increase academic learning. According to Roland Katz, an ADHD expert, students with ADHD need to “fidget to focus”. Stability balls allow such movement in a controlled manner without disturbance in the classroom. Proper posture at a young age is important because this is when their bodies are growing the most. When a child has poor posture, they are increasing their chances of developing spinal deformities like scoliosis, kyphosis, and lordosis. Using a stability ball decreases a child's chance of developing these deformities by forcing them to maintain good posture. Students are measured to fit the appropriate size stability ball based on their height and other body dimensions such that the knees are slightly lower than the hips. Furthermore, the use of stability balls should help students become more physically fit because core muscles are engaged and strengthened.

Adult and child alike have much to gain by adopting this legless chair!! Who couldn't use increased circulation, leading to increased brain function and, hence, higher productivity!?!

You will feel more energetic, burn more calories, and tone your muscles as you accomplish a mini-workout all through the day!!!

Here's my own version----makes blogging a breeze:)))