Over the last 2 weeks I’ve driven over 4,000 miles across the US, to showcase our new product, which helps deskbound athletes recover their mobility…while they sit. My home country of Ireland is about 200 miles wide….so 4,000 miles is a big deal for me. But for some, driving for hours on end is their livelihood.
My journey was hard to forget…..dodgy highway motels, questionable sleep, driving in blizzard conditions in Colorado to busy 8 lane highways in California. My rental car had more cup holders than a cup holder factory. And I’ve listened to just about every podcast imaginable.
As I sat there for hours on end though, westbound on Highway 10 from Phoenix to LA, my mind was consumed by HOW we sit in cars.
Mostly, we are in a static 80 to 90 degree position, and often our knees are above our hips which further constricts your muscles. We feel stiff and cramped after hours of driving. Our bodies just weren’t designed to sit like this. It plays havoc with our biomechanics and ability to move freely.
Some of the podcasts I was listening to on the way was one of my all time favourites from The Gait Guys on The Importance of Hip and Ankle Mobility…..or what they call the Z-Angle. In it they speak about why we need to have adequate hip extension (Hip extension is when you stand up, and you move your leg in a backwards direction, like a bull clawing at the ground). It’s important if you want to move, and especially if you are a runner or athlete.
Having adequate hip extension means you can use your glutes, the most powerful muscle in the body, to propel your body forwards efficiently, and you reduce your risk of injury by having a balanced body. If you don’t have adequate hip extension, which applies to the vast majority of office workers and others who sit a lot, your body’s natural lever mechanisms don’t work properly, and other parts of the body become overloaded such as the lumbar spine and the quads.
At FlexiBod, our active chair allows you to sit in a position that creates a neutral pelvis and spine, that ensures your bodies muscles are balanced when sitting, and ultimately allows you to unlock your true athletic potential.
Each time you sit in a normal car seat or office chair position for extended periods of time, it’s completely jeopardising your bodies agility and all that time you spend training and exercising. Think about that the next time you’re driving to work, sitting on an airplane seat, watching TV, or typing your report on your laptop.
Check out our website and sign up to our email alert to find out when you can get your hands on one of our chairs, or follow us on facebook to join our tribe.
Movement Matters!! And being ABLE to move Matters!!
The FlexiBod Team