Sitting Is Not Working!

Friday, September 15, 2017 · Mike Davis

Good morning!

Last week I read the latest study on the dangers of sitting to our health (http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-sitting-death-risk-20170911-story.html), and I must say, we need to pay attention! I have been fairly vocal for some time about this subject, for many of the reasons mentioned in this study, but the negative effects prolonged sitting has on runners, is also something we need to understand.

When we sit, we create a lap, and that lap is good for sitting a laptop computer on, or makes a cozy spot for a needy dog to lay. This lap we create has a muscle group referred to as “hip flexors” (Adductor Brevis, Adductor Longus and Gracilis, to name a few), and these muscles connect to levers (bones), that are parts of running movement. Quick kinetics lesson: Muscles pull on bones (levers) based on their ability (length), and bones interact with each other to create movement (kinetic chain). Back to that lap we create. Now when sit, our hip flexor muscles are relaxed and this relaxation shortens the length of the muscles. Sitting long enough without engaging these muscles, will tightened, and keep them in a shortened state. Because these hip flexors are attached to upper and lower levers (bones), the range of motion they allow is an important of functional running. If a muscle lacks its optimal length, it will reduce the range of motion on the attached bones, and this effect then requires compensation from another source and that is not a good thing!

Overuse injuries is something runners often deal with and in most cases, “compensation,” is the primary cause. A shortened hip flexor muscle may reduce the length of a runner’s stride, and that reduced length, may force the hamstrings to pull more than they like, and hamstring muscles attach to the lower back, and now the lower back is not going to be happy! Do this over and over, and you now have the makings of an overuse injury. Not to mention that shortened length, makes running that much more challenging and much less efficient.

The possibilities that result from that “sitting lap” can be endless as far as injuries, or efficient running. You do not need to run out and purchase a standing work station (though they have benefits), but we can help ourselves out (and our running). Being mindful throughout the day of our bodies is important, not only for our running, but for overall good functioning. We are all guilty of underestimating how important a functioning body is to our overall quality of life. We even ignore the obvious signs (tightness, soreness, and pain), and brush it off as aging. Being mindful, means taking action! Get up and move, do not have an extended period with a lap. Do some standing lunges, walk, do a few squats, do something! 30 minutes is the longest you want to be sitting, and that may require setting an alarm on your phone. Be mindful.

Sitting is getting a lot of negative attention and hopefully people will get the message and be become mindful of how they spend their day. We have one body, and if we want it to function for an extended period of our life, we surely need to treat it accordingly. Not tomorrow, but today!

Have a great weekend and God Bless!

Michael