stay seated Prolongedly it has harmful effects on health. Among the most notable are the risk of low back pain, neck and shoulder discomfort, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and even premature death, according to the report. Sitting with limited movement and for prolonged periods: health effects and advice on good practicespublished by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

Hence the importance of respecting the advice of experts, such as getting up every hour and a half or adopting more intense activity outside of sitting work time. Some simple exercises, applicable anywhere, are also very helpful. Among the most surprising is sitting on the floor, for short periods throughout the day. Find out why it is recommended.

Why sit on the floor?

“Spend 15 to 30 minutes a day sitting on the floor It helps bring the hip joints to ranges they don’t normally reach and loads the spine advantageously. Both benefits help avoid some of the pain-inducing positions that the body adopts when we sit in a chair for an extended period of time to work or watch a series,” they explained to Guardian Juliet and Kelly Starrett, authors of Built to Move: The 10 Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully.

The authors specify that it is beneficial to improve the general posture of the body. Furthermore, it allows gain strength and flexibility and can help avoid lower back pain, in addition to reducing stress.

There are three key positions for sitting on the floor:

• crisscross: sit with your legs crossed
• 90/90: Sit with one leg bent 90 degrees in front of you (thigh stretched from the hip). Resting your front leg lightly on the side of your butt, bend your other leg at a 90-degree angle so your foot is behind it. Switch sides after five minutes
• long sitting: Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you, your back straight, or with your torso slightly leaning forward

Sitting on the floor can also give us clues about our state of health. According to a study published in he European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, The ability to stand from a sitting position, without assistance from another limb, is an indicator of longevity. Based on the 2002 analysis of adults between 51 and 80 years old, he concluded that those who could not perform the movement were 5 to 6 times more likely to die.

In any case, and as the UOC points out, “everydo An adult between 18 and 64 years old should do moderate physical exercise between 150 and 300 minutes a week at least (or between 75 and 150 minutes, if it is intense). Those over 65 must also complement this activity with exercises aimed at improving your quality of life and safety. This is reflected in the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), which also indicates that activity physics contributesye to disease prevention and management non-communicable, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer or diabetes.

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