Even though humans are designed to move, we’ve all been victims of bad sitting habits. Maybe you recall moments of sitting for long periods of time and starting to feel uncomfortable. Perhaps you experienced isolated neck pain, a numbing sensation in your glutes, tension in the upper back muscles, or low back discomfort. Studies agree that we need movement micro breaks every 30 minutes of sitting. There are also many ways we can position our bodies on a chair.
The most common ways we naturally sit are either relaxed and slumped (rounding the back, shoulders rolling forward, usually a collapsed chest, and loss of the curve in the lower back), or upright and tense (difficult to hold for long periods of time, sending the shoulders back and jamming the upper back – this tension created in the back muscles contributes to loss of natural spinal curves).
Instead, try this:
The idea is trying to restore our primal posture by elongating the spine. Doing so makes space for the discs and nerves, offers the arms good circulation, and creates space for better breathing. Remember to always contact a professional when unsure of possible structural issues.
Every month, I will be sharing more alignment ideas to explore. Until then, use your daily posture as an opportunity to practice some rewiring of old habits.
