One of the basic postures of humans is sitting. Even babies learn to sit at an age of five to nine months.
What is sitting?
One of the basic postures of human beings is sitting. Babies already learn to sit at an age of five to nine months. In this posture, the upper body is erect and most of one’s weight rests on the bent thighs or buttocks. The person sits on a firm surface, such as a seat made for this purpose. This position is very comfortable and relaxing, as a variable position of the lower legs or leaning of the upper body is allowed. In addition, the joints as well as the muscles are relieved and the body weight is distributed over a large area. When a baby begins to sit on its own, it tries to make contact with the outside world. Sitting is significantly easier and more comfortable than standing or walking, which is why infants learn it first.
Function and task
Very many people perform some activity every day that involves sitting. Here, some things should be taken into consideration: The backrest as well as the seat of the chair at work should be properly shaped and adapt to the body. In the lower and middle area, the backrest should support the human back, so that the lumbar area as well as the spine can be properly supported. The seat should support not only the buttocks, but also the thighs. Sitting should be upright, with a right angle at the knees and elbows. The seat height and width should be individually adjusted. In addition, armrests are advantageous so that the body can relax better during the sitting phases. Since many activities can only be performed while sitting, this is an essential requirement. With a wedge or mobile cushion, however, sitting can be made much more back-friendly and comfortable. A wedge cushion consists of a foam material, which has a wedge-shaped form and is covered with fabric. These cushions are available in various shapes and sizes and are usually between 10 and 12 cm high. The seat is raised so that the back is straight and upright. Nevertheless, hours of uninterrupted sitting should be avoided. Standing and moving around in between already helps a lot. Sitting for longer than 20 minutes at a time is already unhealthy, as it leads to an undersupply of the intervertebral discs. Therefore, it is good to stand as often as possible, be it while talking on the phone or picking up files. It is also helpful to walk around while thinking. Another option is to use a standing desk. There are some that are variable for sitting and standing.
Diseases and ailments
A large part of humanity spends many hours a day sitting. And wen it is not in the office, then in the car or even at home. This is anything but healthy in the long run: if you sit too much, you die sooner. The organism is very damaged by sitting too long and the risk of cardiovascular disease increases. Likewise, people who sit for a long time expose themselves to the risk of developing cancer or diabetes. Sitting for long periods is also very bad for the leg veins. In the sitting position, blood pools more easily in the legs, putting strain on the vessels. The reason for this is that the calf muscle pump can only be used to a limited extent when sitting. When walking, it is active because the person tenses his calf muscles with every step. Then it presses on veins in the area, pumping blood from the legs back to the heart. Consequently, when sitting, blood can pool in the veins and the legs can swell. Very long periods of sitting, such as on an airplane, can lead to thrombosis or clot formation. To avoid getting varicose veins, good circulation of the blood is necessary. But not everyone who sits too long gets varicose veins. Surely everyone knows a stiff and tense feeling after a whole day on a chair. When sitting, the blood flows more slowly, it accumulates and the oxygen content decreases. In addition, unused muscles become flabby in the long run and the metabolism in the cells is reduced. It is very important for the human body cells to keep moving. Even physical activity does not automatically compensate for the dangers of sitting for long periods of time.However, exercising still remains healthy and a daily walk is very good for the body.