Most people today spend the majority of their time in a day a SITTING, STANDING and LYING DOWN. No surprises there..How dynamic are you through out your day?
Have you heard of ‘Flaccid Fin Syndrome’ of Orcas in captivity at SeaWorld? You may notice if you have seen Blackfish (I highly recommend this documentary) or even Free Willy, the captive Orca develops a fold in the top fin. Experts say this is because of circular swimming, resting at the surface much of the time so gravity takes over (no deep sea diving possible) and the warmer water in the tanks The point is, this occurs only in Orcas in captivity because they have had to adapt to their environment.
This is why humans adapt by using modern day gadgets and technologies to support our bodies and thus limit our movement- ie. chairs, shoes, pillows, cars, trolleys and lower back supports. Our spine, bones, fascia and muscles will alter to the demand needed.
“If you exercise an hour a day, seven days a week, your total movement time equals a whopping 420 minutes out of a possible 10,080, or about 4% of all time spent. ” Katy Bowman
So what are you doing with the other 96% of your time?
First of all, I recommend you try to catch yourself when you are in one position more than 10 minutes. I like to cycle through a few different positions to keep moving. Just look at young children sitting, they can teach us perfectly about natural movement.
So here are my top suggestions;
1. Learning to squat is a great position to master as it is beneficial for your ankles, knees and hip joints. Start with a few minutes every day.
2. Get a standing workstation (but not in heels…) – you really can’t be sitting all day. One that can flip between the two is best.
3. Make your workstation dynamic. Move things around periodically so you don’t get used to moving in just one direction.
4. Go barefoot as much as possible, shoes are like what a tank is for an Ocra. You will need to ease into this one slowly. (Massaging the foot with a spikey ball is a great way to get your joints loosened up again.)
5. Get your walk nutrition every day (not on a treadmill) Aim for at least 4-5 kilometers, but you don’t have to do it all at once.
6. Don’t sit on your couch! (Especially after you have been sitting all day). Put a rug on the floor and get your body used to it. You may need to use a cushion to start with.
You will start to feel your hips and lower back free up once you implement these daily habits consistently. For the next 30 days just move your body as opposed to focusing on exercise and let me know how you go!
 

In good health,
Dr. Angela Baklis
(Osteopath)