It’s well established that Americans spend too much time sitting, and that really isn’t any one person’s fault; society makes it hard not to.
Many people work desk jobs where they sit for eight-plus hours each day, lots of folks commute in cars or trains for hours each week and most people live in areas that require them to sit down and drive from point A to point B instead of walking.
Unfortunately, sitting in one position too much can tighten up our joints and weaken our mobility. One way to combat the negative effects of sitting, though, is by getting into different positions, including lying (and sitting) on the floor.
Increasing flexibility and mobility by lying or sitting on the floor — or, moving around in general — can help you avoid joint pain, said Jennifer Kostik-Johnson, a physical therapist at West Virginia University Health System.
There are also other benefits to getting yourself down to the ground from time to time (as long as you safely can). Here’s what to know:
Lying on the floor on your stomach can help combat the tightness that comes from sitting all day long.
“Our hip flexors get tight when we sit,” said Rachel Prusynski, a physical therapist and spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association.
And you probably spend most of the day sitting down, whether at work, on the couch or in the car. “Lying on your floor on your stomach is kind of the opposite of that,” she added.
“It stretches out those hip flexors. It gets our low back and our hips into extension, and it’s just something that we don’t otherwise do if we’re not lying on the ground or lying on our stomach,” Prusynski said.
Lying on the floor is also a great way to move your entire body.
According to Prusynski, getting up and down off the ground is a great way to test your mobility as it uses nearly every joint in the body.
It requires ankle movement, hip movement, hip strength and more, in addition to the ability to lift your body against gravity, she said.
Since it works so much of your body, if you do find getting down to the floor and up to the floor a challenge, Prusynski said you should see a physical therapist who can watch your movement to see what’s holding you back.
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Lying on your stomach can help loosen up tight hips.
It’s also important for fall recovery.
“Getting up from the floor [is] very important if we’re older and take a fall,” said Kostik-Johnson. If you know how to properly get up and get down to the floor, you’ll be more likely to be able to get yourself up if you do take a tumble.
While physical therapists work on fall recovery and fall prevention, it is true that falls do still happen, which makes this posture an important one to practice, added Prusynski.
Lying on the floor is important, but posture variety is even more important.
Lying on the floor has clear benefits for your mobility and health, but it isn’t the be-all, end-all position. While it can be a great movement to add to your daily routine, it shouldn’t be the only one.
“Physical activity needs variety,” said Prusynski. This is how we prevent injury and stay mobile through life. And the same goes for posture; you shouldn’t spend all day lying on the ground, sitting in a chair, standing up or doing any one posture.
While these movements aren’t bad to do on their own, they shouldn’t be the only posture you find yourself in. ”
“There is no bad posture. The best posture is the next posture,” said Prusynski. Meaning, make sure you move around throughout the day and go from sitting to working at a standing desk to lying on your stomach and beyond.
Being sedentary is a bigger problem than any not-so-great posture, she noted, and you can develop pains like back pain from staying still too much.
“Changing positions throughout the day is so helpful,” Prusynski added.
If there are certain positions you can’t get into safely, that’s OK. Do what works for you.
“Some of our older folks probably can’t get down on the floor safely and get back up, so really, what they need to concentrate in general on is just general mobility,” said Kostik-Johnson.
We spend hours and hours sitting every day and that locks up your pelvis and hips and leads to overall stiffness, Kostik-Johnson added.
“And we always sit with back support, typically, or lean back in our recliner, and that doesn’t help with our core strength. That actually helps weaken our core,” Kostik-Johnson said.
Moving around as much as you can helps combat this by working your mobility and strength.
But you shouldn’t try to get down to the ground on your own if you have a history of falls, mobility issues or certain health conditions.
If you have a history of falls, mobility issues or haven’t gotten down to the floor (or up from the floor) in some time, you should work with a physical therapist to get to this lying-on-the-ground posture safely, said Prusynski.
You should also talk to a physical therapist before diving in if you have arthritic knees or circulatory problems in your legs, added Kostik-Johnson.
Moreover, if you just haven’t laid down on the ground in some time, you should practice it with someone nearby so they can help you up if you need it. Or, make sure you have a couch or chair close by that you can grab on to for support, said Kostik-Johnson.
You should also get up from the ground and down to the ground slowly to avoid lightheadedness or injury, Prusynski added.
As long as you’re able to lie on the ground safely, it should be a goal posture to get into and out of as we age, Prusynski noted. If you’re able, consider this reason enough to lie down on the ground during your next call — your mobility will thank you.
The original version of this story was published on HuffPost at an earlier date.
