Get Strapped in for Sitting, 7 Reasons why
Sitting is not going away, we will probably be doing it even more as time goes on. We are doing it more than ever and many jobs are sedentary
I am offering an extremely simple solution to sitting poorly, sitting with a strap. It will cost you 0-12$ (for the most beautiful strap) and it will literally change your life. I ask everyone I work with to sit with a strap, and give them one. I have heard so many wonderful things about it, and practice it myself daily.
- Obtain a strap that does not stretch
- Fasten it above your knee on the thigh with 3-5 inches between your knees
- Keep doing it
My favorite story about it, is when I worked at a chiropractic clinic back in 2017. I had been seeing this woman who was uncomfortable, activity avoidant, and generally fragile and easily perturbed etc. Naturally, when I suggested she sit with a strap, she did not. Some months later, she was about to get on an airplane and was anticipating a lot of pain and discomfort. She was struggling with the idea, when she remembered me. She removed the strap from her lunchbox, and fastened it around her legs like I had shown her, and enjoyed comfort for the 5 hour flight and had no pain afterwards. She came back to the clinic and shared her story with me, and I was delighted. I seek out the simplest, most effective solutions for everyday problems that reduce wellness and quality of life and try to share them as often as possible.
If you are not sold yet, here are some ways that sitting with a strap will be amazing for you.
Benefits of sitting with a strap
Cardiovascular & Nervous system activity
After you’ve been sitting for a while the blood flow and nervous system activity in your legs is largely reduced (about 20 minutes). We all know that we are not going to get up every 20 minutes to walk or stretch unless we are in serious pain. Having a strap around your thighs provides a constant gentle stimulation to the sensory nervous system that will keep it active and prevent it from ‘falling asleep’. Avoiding this pattern can issues that are seen from chronic unsupported sitting, and help with existing conditions related to lack of blood flow.
Pelvis balanced
With your femurs supported in a gentle neutral position, your pelvis will have a very hard time resting out of a neutral position. Where holding a neutral pelvis is a lot of work, a strap completely removes that as an issue. Your knees can’t point out, preventing the tip there, and you are much less likely to cross your legs so it won’t be twisted/rotated-> translated either. Literally clip or slip on the strap and enjoy a neutral pelvis.
Reduce slouching
Your body always responds to what you are doing with it, if you are a default sloucher you will eventually become an olympic sloucher as everything tightens down to support the position you have chosen to take with your body. Other things where you aren’t slouching become more difficult, and in old age you may completely lose the ability to look straight ahead. With your pelvis in a neutral position your spine will stack right on top, and as long as you are not looking far down – you’re set!
Reduce bad habits
Some sitting habits are bad, like leaning all the way back in your chair (especially those super adjustable ones), it sends the wrong message to the position of your spine. Crossing your legs will throw off your pelvis, and hip flexor function. Leaning all the way to one side will do the same thing, and also involve your ribs and neck. Sitting twisted will do similar things. Many of these habits are not noticed or considered until there is already a problem. By sitting with a strap, you will naturally avoid all these habits and more that I didn’t think about off the top of my head (like laying on your desk!). Feet flat, beautiful right angles.
Save stress on neck and shoulders
Sitting with a strap will keep you stacked as I mentioned before. When your head is forward is changes the muscle support for your head, shoulders, arms. These improper muscles will change to support your new position, and you will notice this as a very tight neck and shoulders. This is an epidemic. I don’t know hardly anybody who doesn’t have a tight neck. Looking down, and slouching is why. When you work from an aligned position, your body reinforces that position and you can feel well and more effortless.
Opportunity to exercise hips
When you are wearing your strap, there are several exercises you can do quite easily. The easiest and most helpful being just pressing on the strap. It will utilize your external rotators and reinforce a balanced pelvis. Any pressure made or movement of the feet and ankles will promote balance in your position and function due to unmoving strap the force redirected from within.
Saving energy makes you more efficient throughout the day
While hard to measure, your body gets tired and beat up more quickly in less than optimal positions. If you are saving yourself even 5 or 10% of the physical stress a day that will amount to HUGE gains over time. You’ll have energy you never knew you had and be more capable of using that energy.
Try it! Worst case, maybe it’s not for you and you just take it off. I have never gotten poor feedback from someone who has taken a chance and fastened a strap around their legs.
Me talking about sitting with a strap on TV!