The Deadly First World Disease You Likely Have

For years I have harped on my yoga classes about the harmful effects of sitting and the importance of hip flexibility observing that most people in my American Midwest classes become contracted and slightly deformed with a pelvic tilt by the time they are in their twenties.  The contraction becomes stronger resulting in mild back pain and significant inflexibility while in their thirties and if they are not properly moving, people experience significant health and well-being issues in their 40's and beyond.  Can I say back pain?  While prepping to teach my freshman learning course at Indiana University Kokomo, I learned this issue has been officially coined by the scientific community as "Sitting Disease"(1).

The research of Sitting Disease indicates that sitting more than 3 hours a days cuts off two years of life.  Women who sit more that 6 hours a day have a 100% greater chance of dying a decade earlier than women who sit less than 3 hours a day.  Men who sit more that 6 hours a day have a 50% greater chance of dying a decade earlier than men who sit less than 3 hours a day (2).   My suspicion of the significant risk percentage between women and men is that women have wider hips and experience more contraction in the pelvis though pregnancies, therefore the intensity of Sitting Disease is more profound.  

According to research most Americans spend at least 8 hours sitting and sitting is unnatural for the body...God did not invent chairs, people did.  Sitting in chairs for such prolonged periods of time IS hazardous to one's health.  Sitting Disease is a first world problem.  Those who are unable to afford the luxury of a chair squat.

Some cultures can afford chairs though have not integrated them into mainstream.

Think about what your next business meeting would look like if everyone squatted.  Perhaps this is a new opportunity to streamline meetings with less disagreement and more getting to the action items (the dude here doesn't look like he can talk much anyway!)  I personally wouldn't wear a short dress or skirt in this sort of meeting.

While sitting to write this blog post, I decided that despite my career in yoga, I too should combat Sitting Disease in my life.  

 I could tolerate the squatting blogging position at my kids table for approximately 20 minutes to which I then moved to a kneeling position.  

Fortunately Sitting Disease can be reversed through a quality fitness program and well, less sitting.  If you suspect you have this deadly first world disease (which if you are American and can't do the splits, you likely do), starting moving!  Incorporating a regular yoga routine to help improve your hip flexibility will make a difference.  Stand or squat to do your work and if you must sit in an office chair, get up to move and stretch at least once an hour.  Sitting in a half or full lotus while sitting in a chair will help as well.  Walking instead of riding in a car, walking after meals, squatting while watching television...the functional solutions are endless to decrease your daily sitting time.  I hope you will make the change to fight Sitting Disease in your life...your life literally depends on it!

Resources:

(1)  M.R. Bracko, "Can We Prevent Back Injuries?"  ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal 8, no.  4 (2004) 5-11.

(2)  Hoeger, W.W.K., & Hoeger, S.A.  Lifetime Physical Fitness & Wellness:  A Personal Program.  (2013) pp. 21.