The years 2020 and 2021 have completely changed the way we live our lives. We are working from our respective homes; our working hours have gone way beyond the actual office hours.
We work while we are sitting, we get entertained while we are sitting, the bottom line is we are leading a predominantly sedentary life, with just s little physical work whatsoever.
We aren’t the ones to be blamed here, and it is also very difficult to pin down the actual culprit in this situation. We all are well aware that sitting for a prolonged period of time is never going to do us any good.
By sitting in a single place for the most part of our day, we are paving the way for many spines and lower back-related issues in the future. But there is an effective way in which we can avoid all these problems coming right at us.
The answer is, ‘Active Sitting.’ In this article, we are going to elaborate on what active sitting is, how it works, what it can and cannot do for you, and last but not least, the benefits of the practice of active sitting.
Also Read: Best Computer Chair For Long Hours
What Is ‘Active Sitting’?
Contents
Most of us work all day on our laptops and computers, sitting on a chair for a significant amount of time, usually do not get involved in any form of physical activity while we are at it.
We prefer doing the physical exercise of our choice once we are done with the day’s work. But working out for an hour won’t undo the damage that has been caused by 8 hours of sedentary work.
Our sedentary lifestyle leads to spine-related issues, abdominal problems, issues with digestion, back pain, neck pain, and many other problems. The way to keep these health-related issues out of our way is Active Sitting’.
Active sitting is also known as dynamic sitting; it simply means getting some of our muscles actively engaged, physically while we are at work sitting in a chair. You can actively engage your abdominal muscles or the back muscles, or your legs.
Devices and equipment like bouncing ball chairs, standing desks, and treadmills aid the process of being physically active to a great extent. But our office work generally requires us to sit in a place for many hours at a stretch.
Active sitting suggests that instead of sitting still in one single place, a person can make minor changes in their sitting posture or patterns in a manner that can keep a group of their muscles actively engaged.
How Does The Practice Of Active Sitting Work? What Are Some Of The Active Sitting Options?
In the layman’s, active sitting simply implies being active while you are sitting, instead of being steady and in a single position for a prolonged period of time.
There are many ergonomic products available in the market online as well as offline that help you practice active sitting effectively. These ergonomic products are strategically designed to target specific muscles in your body at a given point of time and use.
Here is a list of products that can help you sit actively by actively engaging your muscles, especially the lower body muscles, when you are seated.
Also Read: Best Office Chair Under $100
Kneeling Chair
Kneeling chairs are generally known for tilting the user slightly forward in a manner that aligns their posture. According to many physiologists and occupational therapists, kneeling chairs are known to reduce your lower back pain.
Balance Ball
A balance ball is a common sight in a gym but do you know? That a balance ball can simulate our core muscles like the deep pelvic, abdominal muscles, and the lower back muscles; the balance ball strengthens these muscles are they are the worst affected due to prolonged our of sitting. You can do a variety of exercises using the balance ball at regular intervals; in order to work you.
Wobble Stool
A wobble stool is one of the best active sitting equipment available in the market, as it generally requires the user to use their legs, hips, and core muscles in order to sit upright. A wobble chair lets the user rest from standing without having to go back to their normal chair. It is because of this feature the user finds it easy to shift their position when they start feeling tired.
What Are The Benefits Of Active Sitting?
We would like to conclude this article by listing down some of the significant benefits of active sitting; they are as follows.
Better Core Strength
Chairs that help the user practice active sitting like the kneeling chairs help the users improve their core strength. When the user practices active sitting, they are working their lower and upper abdominal muscles along with their back, shoulders, lateral muscles, and hips. This is not possible when the user uses a normal or a traditional chair; sitting on these chairs for a long time can only stiffen your muscles.
Encourages Movement
Unlike the practice of sitting on a traditional chair, active sitting helps the person practicing it be constantly in motion and not steady. Active sitting actively engages your muscles in order to maintain an upright posture.
Burn Calories
Active sitting helps you burn more calories than you would have by sitting steadily in a place for a long period of time. The number of calories burnt while active sitting is not as much as what you will burn after a run, but as the saying goes, something is always better than nothing at all. This practice also helps to maintain your energy levels.
Along with the benefits listed, adobe active sitting also helps in improving your posture, reduce the strain on your lower back, improve your metabolism, and a lot more.
Active sitting is the need of the hour as we spend a great part of sitting and working on our devices; it is better to take small steps towards achieving good health rather than crying in pain when it’s too late to repair the damage caused by our neglect.
Just a few changes in your sitting pattern can help in practicing active sitting and helps you should find out the tools, devices, and equipments that suit your need the best and start practicing active sitting today itself.
