A Word from Rowan...

For many people there is nothing better at the end of the day than sitting back in your Lazy Boy chair, lifting up the leg rest and reading a book or watching television.  What many people do not realise however is that how you are sitting may be contributing to any back or neck pain that you may be experiencing.

When sitting in a Lazy Boy chair it is best not to sit upright with your legs fully stretched out on the leg support.  The reason for this is that this position provides a light, long sustained stretch to the hamstring muscles on the back of the legs.  Some (probably most!) of you may think that this is a good feeling, and yes it can be, however it is very important to know that long, sustained stretching of these muscles can actually be detrimental to your knees, lower back and hips.

Our hamstring muscles naturally atrophy (i.e waste away or decrease in size) as we age.  This is because these muscles are the ones that we essentially use for sprinting, which is a very common activity throughout our youth however not so common once we move into our twenties and older.

If you have ever suffered a lower back problem or had sciatic pain then you should never sit in an upright position with your legs straight out in front of you.  Nerves become irritated when stretched and if you suffer from neural tension in your legs then this will have an adverse effect...with the result being pain.

Often when people have placed themselves in a stretched flexed position for 3 to 4 hours (i.e. at home watching television, or sitting on the ground watching a cricket event for example) they can wake the following day with a very irritated lower back.  This is because prolonged, stretched out flexion positions are a vulnerable and weak position for the human spine.  Being humans, our strongest position is upright...which means that essentially it is the exact opposite of our strongest position.

To avoid causing yourself an injury or irritation when using your Lazy Boy chair, always leave the leg rest down when in the sitting position.  Only have the leg rest up when you are lying back.

In the same respect, when sitting on the ground, sit in a position with your legs bent to ninety degrees or crossed and folded, tucked towards your bottom.  Always avoid having your legs stretched out straight in front of you or crossed straight in front of you.

Learning what positions and activities are safe for our human body is an ongoing process and it is essential for longevity of our musculoskeletal system to implement these learnings into our everyday lives.

Relax safely.

If you have any further general questions please don't hesistate to email us on gym@bodysynergy.co.nz

Alternatively if you would like to email me directly with a question or concern please feel free to on rowan.ellis@bodysynergy.co.nz