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Normal Behavior Does Not Mean Helpful

“Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. “God saw that the light was good…”

Genesis 1:3

We have more light today and Mike says, “That is good!”

Good morning!

This past week was a tough one for me as I struggled with some physical challenges and maybe even a couple mental ones. However, with my resolve to build off my blessings, I am excited for the wonderful opportunities that lay ahead. Most immediate is additional daylight and increased options for outside activities.

A habit to rethink…

I believe in “intelligent design,” and for sure, our bodies were designed perfectly. From the importance of our hallux (our big toe), on up to the computer between our ears, our bodies function perfectly. Until we screw it up…

A while back I observed my granddaughter effortlessly squatting on the floor with perfect form.

For the most part we all begin life with the same capability as my granddaughter. Then, we learn the joy of sitting down and over time our ability to perfectly squat goes away. Sitting is brutal on our bodies and the results are being realized more and more through studies and science. From shortened hip flexors to the dangers of visceral fat around our vital organs (belly button area), sitting is seriously damaging our perfectly designed bodies.

Trading squatting for sitting is more comfortable and definitely more conducive to our daily lives. Even socially, unless you are at a gym or doing Yoga, squatting over a chair would be a bit odd. However, the act of sitting may be more appropriate in most aspects of our existence, it does not make it any less harmful. This very moment while I am chatting, I am sitting, so I get it.

So how do we manage our normal existence versus our perfectly designed but now dysfunctional bodies?

Most every person who comes to NFLF are challenged by years of sitting and other less than other helpful habits. While we cannot reverse years of counter productive physical activity, we can address ways to improve functional movements and imbalances. Factors ranging from muscular strength, flexibility, and awareness, all contribute to poor posture, running form, injury and overall functional capability. Often it is thought that poor posture is the result of lack of upper body strength, but that may not be the case. Our perfectly designed bodies require anatomical partnership from that big toe on up the connective chain. Understanding each function of the anatomy helps us to determine whether it is a strength, flexibility or body awareness problem. Chances are it may be a combination of two or all three.

An older gentleman came to us a year or so ago with some posture and movement challenges. It can be easy to give up and tell ourselves that the aging process is the culprit, and while aging certainly makes things challenging, we can improve or maintain a high level of functioning. The man had a very pronounced slapping of his feet as he walked and had become almost deaf to it. Well after a year of waking up his glutes, his wife commented to him that he is not slapping his feet as he walks anymore. How sweet is that! He had not even realized he was no longer doing it.

Sitting is a reality that is not going away. However, we have ways of lessening the damage it does to our bodies. Awareness of the seriousness of sitting is the first step. From there we need to be more intentional with how long we sit and how to mitigate the affects of extended sitting on our bodies. We are working on a YouTube series on posture and movement and our goal is to help people understand how we affect our bodies through such habits as sitting.

Definitely a lengthy chat today. Hope you found some value you in it.

In any event, have a great week and enjoy the increased hours of daylight!

God Bless,

Mike