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Articles
Sitting – What Should Children be Avoiding?
by Carol K. Sheats, PT, OCS September 15, 2007
What would you tell an adult about positioning their computer screen? Eye level or a little below, right?
Imagine if the computer screen was high up on the wall. What position would your neck be in? It wouldn’t feel good if you had to sit like that for any length of time, right?
Now imagine a child sitting on the floor looking up at the TV, or at school sitting on the floor looking up at the teacher, black board or projector screen. If we know this position would not feel good to our own neck (and back), why are we as adults letting our children be in this position for sometimes several hours a day?
As a physical therapist, I have been going to schools (pre-K through high school) providing posture programs for the past two years, and have presented to hundreds of children. In the younger grades, the worse posture I see is when the children are sitting on the floor looking up.
For those of us that believe our sitting culture is a major contributor to our postural problems (weren’t we designed for movement?), shouldn’t we be making sure our children are in good natural postures when they have to sit, or choose to sit? After all, they are going to have 12 or more years of school during which time they will spend a significant amount of time sitting. Add to that time spent sitting in front of the TV or computer screen at home, and we have a real problem if they have developed the habit of slumping when younger (what I call “banana sitting”).
What should we do? I believe it starts with educating children, parents and teachers about healthy sitting postures (there are many!). We should also provide appropriate size chairs or benches for children. If they have to sit on the floor, I recommend they should be allowed to have choices on the variety of healthy possibilities: sitting with the legs crossed (more like a yoga position with a straight balanced spine rather than a rounded spine), sitting on their knees, half-kneeling, kneeling, side-sitting, even lying on their stomachs propped on elbows at times. We can also lower the object they are looking at (teacher, T.V.) closer to eye level.
Of course I have also seen many examples of good natural healthy posture while visiting pre-K and elementary schools: when they are excited about what they are learning or playing, when they are out on the playground, or even when standing in line waiting for the bus (even with back packs on!).
So where does poor posture begin? I believe a major cause is slumped sitting. Recently while in a restaurant, I over heard a parent tell his child to “sit up straight”. How wonderful to hear an adult take the time to teach a child good posture skills. What should we be avoiding when we sit? Any posture that looks like a banana!
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MORE ON THE CORE: Inner vs. Outer Core Muscles
Part 1
by Carol K. Sheats, PT, OCS October 1, 2007
It is helpful to think of the core as two different layers of muscles, an inner core (that works with a “soft” contraction) and an outer core (surface abdominals and buttock muscles). All of these muscles are important for function (and looking good!), but most people are so busy trying to work the outer muscles that they forget the importance of the inner core muscles. I say “forget” because we all knew how to use these “magic” muscles when we were children. The irony is that the contraction of the inner core muscles is so light you hardly know you are doing anything. A key concept is that the inner core muscles work around a straight spine; therefore prolonged slumped sitting (or sitting like a banana) leads to weakness of core muscles. If you have “lost” your core, how can you “find” it again? Try this:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. (You can use a pillow for your head if you would like.) Place your hands lightly on your abdomen. First, allow yourself to breathe normally and feel your abdomen go up and down. Then, slowly with an exhalation, allow your abdomen to contract and feel “thin”, while continuing to breathe normally. After several breaths, relax the abdomen again. Repeat this several times. Begin to notice if you also feel the feeling of stopping urine flow (Kegel exercise). If you feel this, it will confirm that you are doing the exercise correctly, as your pelvic floor muscles are part of the inner core. This “magical” contraction is the basis of any exercise program. Throughout most of your daily activities (as well as exercise programs and sports activities) inner core muscles should be contracting to support and brace your spine, while your legs and arms move.
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MORE ON THE CORE: Progressing Your Core Exercises
Part 2
by Carol K. Sheats, PT, OCS November 2007
Once you understand how to contract the inner core muscles, you are ready to progress to using the inner and the outer core muscles together.
As an example of using the inner as well as the outer core muscles, you can use leg movement to challenge the core muscles ability to stabilize the core. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your hips (actually your pelvic bones), and begin sliding your left leg back and forth so that your leg lengthens, then back to the bent knee position again. Your hands should monitor that your pelvic area does not move. If the pelvic area does not move at all, then it means your core muscles are doing their job to stabilize the spine! Complete 10 repetitions, and repeat with your right leg.
If this feels too easy, you are ready to progress to the next level: start in the same position as above, but this time lift your left foot a couple of inches off the floor. (When you lift the foot, make sure your pelvis doesn’t move!) Now begin to move your leg back and forth in the air, keeping your foot about 2 inches off the floor. If your pelvis doesn’t move, you are ready to progress to the next level:
Begin in the same position of lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. This time lift your right leg a couple of inches off the floor. Leave the right leg in this position while you lift the left leg a couple of inches off the floor. (If your pelvis moves, or you feel pain, it is a sign that your inner core has stopped doing its job of stabilizing the spine, and you should stop progressing your exercises and go back to the previous level for a few days.) If your pelvis and trunk do not move, continue the exercise by moving the left leg back and forth in the air while the right leg remains still. Repeat 10 repetitions of left leg movement, rest, and repeat on the opposite side. This level should feel like you are working hard to strengthening the abdominal muscles; in fact, your entire core will be getting a good workout!
Remember not to progress through the levels of difficulty unless you can keep your pelvis still. It is all about quality, and not quantity. Next: Bird Dog Exercise for Core Stabilization.
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MORE ON THE CORE: Applying the Principle of a Straight Spine During Strengthening Exercises Part 3
by Carol K. Sheats, PT, OCS March 23, 2008
“Bird Dog” is a common exercise, but is often taught (or shown in pictures) with a curved or arched spine. You will be getting a better workout for your core muscles (both the inner and outer core) if you can keep your spine straight (in neutral) as in this picture:
Bird Dog
- Begin in table top position, with knees under hips and hands under the shoulders.
- Your weight should be evenly distributed between the hands and knees.
- Your back should be straight and in “neutral spine”.
- Without moving your back, lift opposite arm and leg; hold 10 seconds while breathing normally.
- Repeat on other side, hold 10 seconds. Repeat, alternating opposite arm and leg for a total of 10 times each, remembering to breathe normally.
You may notice that you can’t lift your leg as high as in the picture. Don’t worry; it is more important that you keep your back straight for strengthening the core.
The reason a lot of people can not lift the leg as high as in the picture is because of tightness in the front of the hip which results from too much sitting in our lives. By doing this exercise, you will also begin to stretch out the front of the hip as well as strengthen the core and buttock muscles.
If this exercise is too difficult: begin by lifting one arm or leg, then progress to opposite arm and leg as you are able.
When you are holding a baby, lifting a laundry basket, or sitting at a desk, start to notice if your spine is straight or rounded. When your back is straight, it gives your core a chance to support the spine the way nature intended. (Flexibility is important also, but not the topic of this article.)
Ref: Exercise drawing from The American Physical Therapy Association Book of BODY MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR, by Marilyn Moffat, PT, PhD, FAPTA, and Steve Vickery.
(To be continued)
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