You hear a lot about how bad sitting is for you these days. Some go so far as to declare sitting worse than smoking.
But is sitting really bad for you? Is standing better for you than sitting?
Here’s the unvarnished truth: Sitting on a coach, sofa or chair all day long, especially in a slouched manner, isn’t great for your body. But sitting on the floor, or in a squat position, is good for you, especially when you are continually changing your position.
In some of my YouTube videos, you’ll see me begin talking from a squatting position, and sometimes I maintain this position for well over ten minutes. It’s not that hard to do, if you’re used to sitting this way, and if you can get into this position to begin with.
Oddly enough, many people cannot even get into a deep squat position. Even though it’s a natural position that you’ll see people in Asia sitting in for long periods of time, many westerners have gotten so accustomed to chairs that they cannot use their own body as a piece of furniture. The don’t have the leg strength or the flexibility. And that, my friend, is truly sad.
One day when I was in a supermarket, I saw an item on the bottom shelf that got my attention. Without thinking, I sat in my deep squat posture and stayed there as I studied the ingredients on the label. And I remained in this position as I examined other varieties of the same food.
One of the workers, who was standing behind me, remarked, “Man, if I tried to get into that position I think my knees would break.”
“And that’s exactly why it’s a good idea to work on sitting in this position,” I answered.
“I’m too old,” he said.
“What’s your age?” I asked.
“I’m 30.”
“Interesting. I got you beat by almost three decades.”
“Well, you obviously have great genetics,” he shot back.
“That’s what lazy people always say.”
The man stormed off.
Sometimes I’m not the kindest guy in the whirld, but I really don’t care to hear all the crap about genetics when the true answer is practice, training and your daily habits.
If your daily habit is to sit in a chair all day long, you’re going to lose flexibility, mobility and strength, regardless of your age and genetics.
On the other foot, if you sit in a squat, or on the floor in hundreds of different positions, you will gain strength and flexibility.
I believe in the benefits of standing. I also believe in the power of sitting.
I don’t sit in a squat or on the floor all day long, but I do spend significant periods of time close to the ground.
If you have a job that requires long hours of sitting, not to worry. You can counter it by doing as el Furecat teaches in his Combat Conditioning book and DVDs, as well as in that new course he’ll be launching next week.
Remember, you don’t need to stop sitting.
You can sit on the floor and change your body in a dramatic way.
Get on the ground, get moving, and you will get more living out of life.
Kick azz – take names!
Matt Furey
