by Rob Wilson, Prepare2Perform
Having been a Clinical Soft Tissue Specialist for nearly 15 years, I have seen a lot of crap.
Bad backs, shoulders, hips, ankles, hamstrings, calves, and the list goes on. Some of those are sports injuries, few from an actual catastrophic event. Most from poor mechanics, lack of maintenance, or poor training practices. Throughout the years of treating these problems there is one certain commonality that almost always predisposes athletes to preventable issues.
“The idea is that flowing water never goes stale, so just keep on flowing.”
-Bruce Lee
Sedentary living.
Most athletes do not think of themselves as sedentary people. “I’m not sedentary, I lift…” “Sedentary, nah I do CrossFit five times a week.” “I play pick up soccer. So sitting all day doesn’t effect me as much.”
Wrong.
In our information and technology based culture more and more people are finding themselves sitting earlier in life, for longer periods of time and being less frequently active.
Some staggering numbers:
By the time the average American has graduated High School, they have an aggregate of 39,944 hours of sitting between 1st and 12th grade in the classroom alone.
If they are active 1 hour per day during the same time period they collect only 4,368 hours of activity, literally 1/8th of the time!
American adults sit 55% of their day on average.
The pathological process that chronic sitting causes is so predictable that the term “Sitting Disease” has been coined to describe the symptom complexes that are associated with this behavior
You may be thinking, “I’m an athlete, this doesn’t apply to me.”
Of course it does. Do some simple calculations. How many hours do you sit/week? Include driving, working, television, reading, basically any time you’re in a chair. Now calculate how many hours are spent training.
Pretty grim comparison, right? The effects of sitting reach far into movement patterns and physiology and can aggregate into real problems faster than we may want to admit.
Long term sitting can have a slew of orthopedic implications including hip capsule dysfunction, loss of ankle dorsiflexion (one of the real demons I see on a weekly basis), anterior shoulder and cervical carriage which effectively nullifies the ability to create a stable humeral platform, and many more. Living a sedentary lifestyle can effect your chemistry too. Cognitive dysfunction, poor insulin sensitivity, circulatory problems, and the list goes on. Seriously, just type “sitting disease” into Google and get ready for a slap in your seated face.
In short, you blunt the effects of your hard work in the gym and on the field by sitting on your keister.
What Do I Do?
Ok, so we’re messed up. What do we do short of an entire Bolshevik style coup where we burn all the desks in the village square?
Well, small changes make a difference.
Start by maintaining a movement rich life. Generate opportunities to move throughout your day and integrate it into your life. Propping your leg up if you MUST sit, standing Captain Morgan style, taking walk or squat breaks at work.
Check out the Captain’s Dorsi-Flexion!
Hey smokers get a break to kill themselves, you should get one to move in other direction, right?
Start your day off with a movement practice. It doesn’t have to be fancy, involve equipment, or be special in any way. Just get up, greet the sun, and explore. If you need somewhere to start I’ll shamelessly plug my program Prepare2Perform here. Regardless of what you choose, choose something.
Also, petition your employer for a standing desk.
These provide FAR MORE opportunities to change position and keep you from getting stale. This is an investment for any employer so do your research first and come correct when you go for it. The amount of info out there can be staggering so get your facts and numbers straight. The answer is always “no” if you don’t ask, so don’t be shy.
You are an advocate for your own body. Nobody else cares.
Do It For the Kids
If you have children then the school sitting stats above should rock your boat a little bit. Think of how much potential we missed out on and how the same limitations are being passed on to our children. If any other portion of the educational system was this obviously broken no good parent would take it sitting down (pun intended). Our kids are in school being predisposed to something WE KNOW will contribute to an increased likelihood of preventable disease and untapped potential. Our children are looking to us for leadership and we have to lead by example and be advocates for their future.
In closing, MOVE MORE.
Don’t be sidelined from performing your best in sport and life because you literally will not get off your ass. Make the time. Do you have to schedule brushing your teeth? Why not? Because it’s part of your life. Be a better human and make moving a part of your life too.
To get moving check out Team Prepare2Perform.
We specialize in improving movement quality, recovery, joint/tissue health, and overall bulletproofing the bodies of athletes.
Follow Us on Instagram and Twitter
For more information on getting your kids on board check out standupkids.org
The post The Subtle and Sinister Activity that Kills Performance appeared first on TrainHeroic.