Healthy Spine and Back Habits (part 1)
If you have ever heard of the ancient Taoists, they were known for their longevity. It’s a group in China that live close to nature. The Taoists say that the health of the spine is the health of the organism. Incorporating daily healthy-lower-back and spine habits that are into your day can have profound implications for good health. These habits can include stretching the hip flexors and psoas muscle through yoga-like postures. They habits can include standing up from time to time at your desk, instead of sitting all day. Squatting for a few minutes each day can provide profound benefits for the hips, muscles of the anterior and posterior chains, and the digestive system.
Posture is also part of a healthy spine. If you’re sitting, they say keep your knees higher than your hips if you can. This is especially important if you are moving your bowels and sitting on a toilet (instead of squatting like olden times.) In America, there is a product called the Squatty Potty, a device that allows someone on the toilet to place their feet on an object that is eight to twelve inches higher than their feet would on the floor. This elevated feet kind of simulates the motion of squatting to use the toilet. The main benefit is that it changes the angle of the descending colon; particularly the sigmoid colon. This allows fecal matter to pass more easily down and out of the body.