Genla recommended article: Take a seat on the floor for better mobility, balance, and longevity

from Amy Denney Epoch Health Reporter

Read the full article here.

Sometimes a new perspective—like taking a seat on the floor—is required to gain clarity and common sense.

Not only does the room look different from this vantage point, but it’s also quite likely your body will feel different. Despite what you might be thinking—something along the lines of how much it will hurt your joints—research proves otherwise. 

Floor sitting has been found to strengthen spinal stability, improve balance, boost walking cadence and speed, improve range of motion in lower limbs, and strengthen the muscles in hips, knees, and ankles. 

Of course, if you aren’t used to sitting on the floor and your joints are stiff or recovering from injury, it’s best to ease into the habit. You can also sit on the floor while doing other activities—like watching television, talking on the phone, or going to a child’s sporting event—according to mobility expert Juliet Starrett, who acknowledges it can be hard to find the time and prioritize a task that appears to have little value. 

However, mobility exercises like floor sitting are especially useful for athletes who want to improve range of motion and build resilience. For seasoned adults, mobility aids in overall function, injury recovery, and protection from falls. It can also help you get up after a fall, as you’ll have plenty of practice from getting onto and up from the floor. 

When he lived alone, my grandpa fell in his house, trapping his arm under his body, and remaining immobile for hours—terrified he would die there on the floor. After praying, he managed to work his way up and call for help. 

I haven’t given his traumatic experience much thought until working on this story. As I approach my prime years, I have a renewed desire to protect myself against falls and be confident in my ability to stand upright in the event that I stumble. As I write this, I’m sitting on the floor with a small stool for my computer—a habit I try to do at least 30 minutes every day. 

Read on to reframe the cultural message that sitting is problematic and gain expert insight into how and why to incorporate different types of sitting into your everyday life. 

Read the full article here.