Sit on the Floor to Improve Your Health 

Sitting on the floor has a myriad of health benefits compared to sitting in a chair or on a couch, especially for prolonged periods of time. Evidence has been mounting for decades that sitting in chairs for extended periods of time can do significant damage to human bodies; in severe cases the shape and curvature of the lower spine (lumbar vertebrae) can be permanently deformed, hips and pelvis misaligned, and so on. On the other hand, newer evidence suggest that sitting on the floor can actually help preserve the natural form of the spine and alignment of the hips, pelvis, and knees—and possibly reverse some of the damage done by sitting in chairs. It’s possible that sitting on the floor may even help to prevent or stave off arthritis. The benefits appear to be too great to overlook any longer.

Spinal alignment is one of the most important and well-understood benefits of sitting on the floor. Even when cushions and other “furniture” are used to facilitate more comfort on the floor, it seems as though lumbar lordosis—an unnatural, inward arch or curve of the spine—is much less pronounced when seated on the ground. This is likely because we’re forced to either cross our legs, fold them under us, or stretch them outward when we sit on the floor. Each of those postures requires that we keep our shoulders, spine, and hips in relatively straight alignment to stay upright, and that promotes good posture and correct form when seated.

That kind of “shoulders over hips” alignment also engages muscles in the torso and pelvis to help keep the body straight and upright. By keeping those muscles engaged when we sit, we’re helping to keep them strong and more capable of keeping our joints more properly aligned. It’s very much a feedback loop where more floor sitting contributes to stronger muscles and joints which, in turn, fuel better posture and more comfort when sitting on the ground. As we get more comfortable with those postures, we sit on the floor more. So on and so forth. Evidence also suggests that we buy ourselves more years of this positive loop by keeping our joints flexible and less prone to arthritis. We just have to start the cycle by introducing some floor sitting time to our daily routines.

Ultimately, the range of health benefits associated with sitting on the floor is broad. Our knowledgeable customer service representatives are available online at FloorSeating.com and by phone at 1-800-906-7761, and can help you decide which cushion or floor chair options are best for you to reap those benefits.