Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Active sitting seems like a bit of an oxymoronic term, because when you’re sitting, you’re not up and moving around. However, you can certainly still sit and be active, and more medical experts are recommending that their patients pursue active sitting to help improve the health of their spine. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at what it means to actively sit, and we explain why it can be so helpful for the long-term health of your spine.

The Benefits Of Active Sitting

Active sitting means different things to different people, and we believe there are two ways to actively sit. The first way is to actively be conscious of your posture positioning when you sit. This means sitting up straight, engaging your core and really making sure that you hold your spine in a healthy position while you sit. You don’t need to be doing anything else while you sit other than working to hold your body in the correct position.

For many people, this isn’t easy. You’ll naturally want to slouch or sink into the couch so that the furniture can support your spine, but when you do this, oftentimes stress gets unevenly dispersed along the ends of your spine. Your cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower) spine tend to absorb more stress in a slouched or hunched position, and over time this can lead to faster tissue or disc degeneration.

The other definition of active sitting wants individuals to engage in another active activity while they are sitting. For example, rolling a ball with their feet or drawing the alphabet with your toes can improve circulation and proprioception in your lower extremities, both of which can be helpful for your health. And while this type of active sitting is certainly better than slumping on the couch, your back will be better off if you focus on the other type of active sitting.

When you’re sitting upright and conscious about your posture, your back benefits because this type of sitting requires you to engage your core. Whether you’re sitting on the edge of your sofa, balancing at your desk on an exercise ball or simply sitting upright at your workstation, your core muscles are forced into action, and having a strong core is essential to having a healthy spine.

That’s because your core muscles play a key role in stabilizing and supporting your spinal column. These muscles act like the foundation of a house. Weak core muscles can lead to spinal instability, and a spine that lacks support is at risk for a number of different issues, like herniated discs, pinched nerves, degenerative disc disease and more.

Not only can active sitting be great for your spine, it has other helpful health benefits, including:

• Protects related body areas, like your neck, shoulders and hips.
• Improves circulation.
• Improves concentration.
• Burns more calories.
• Reinforces ideal sitting habits.

So if you want to make life a little easier on your spine, make it a point to try to become an active sitter. We know that it may not always be fun to actively sit, but challenge yourself to actively sit a few minutes each day, and build on these stretches as the position becomes more comfortable.

For help addressing any underlying spine issues that are making sitting, standing or moving uncomfortable, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at the Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

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