No More Plopping!
Last Tuesday I went to the health center for a vaccination. When I arrived for my 10:30 appointment, I was shown to a double chair that had a soft cushion. A moment or two later a gentleman was directed to sit next to me.
He sat with such a plop that my side of the chair lifted as if I was on a seesaw.
My first thought was, “Wow, now that was thrilling.”
But thrills aside, there’s a darker aspect to my story. Constant falling into chairs deprives us of our God-given strength.
When you fall into a chair, your leg muscles, which are designed to lower you, don’t get a chance to work. Instead, you give in to the downward pull of gravity and land with a jolt – which is a whole other topic.
Once I started looking around, I saw that almost everyone was falling into chairs. Kids fall into chairs, middle-aged people fall into chairs, and seniors fall into chairs. So many people fall into their chairs that we no longer recognize it for the odd behavior it is.
That’s why, when I saw the gentleman in the photo above lowering himself onto an airport chair, I was impressed enough to record the moment on my cell phone.
He’s in Balance through and through. He hinges at his hips, his knees align with his toes, and his spine is stacked. Sitting down like this naturally works his leg muscles. Every time he sits, his entire body gets stronger. He stays resilient as he ages because of the way he moves in his everyday life.
Stand up right now and imitate his shape as you slowly lower your pelvis onto the chair. Do it a few times. For the rest of the day be aware of using the power of your legs when you sit.
Then make a habit of re-seating yourself slowly and consciously once a day as your computer boots up. Build this powerful way to sit into your habitual movement patterns. When you get older, you’ll be grateful you did.
Sending strength and good times to you and yours,
Jean Couch
