In this city, popular as a start-up capital, everyone has a certain amount of work in front of the computer system. Right from the local baniya who is making digital bills and updating his stock, to a doctor writing a blog and may also now manage their clinics with software’s!
With numerous more being buckled to their thrones of digital admittance every passing day, education on this newer adaptation of work style becomes imperative.
My objective to write this blog is to educate people about the effects of this seemingly harmless lifestyle. How spending hours rooted to the chair can gradually cascade into serious health issues.
The Human body and Evolutionary muscles of survival:
All of us are aware of the commonly spoken idiom : ‘Kamar kass na’. Well this refers to one body structure: The Pelvis
*pelvis*
Pelvis or the hip is the root of our body, on which all our structures rest. Pelvis is the place where the spinal cord ends and lets out nerve fibres to control everything around and under it, including the legs.
How would one feel if one has not relieved their motions, or on lacking sexual satiety ?
The upper body rests on this and very much like the roots of a tree, is important to maintain balanced bodily function.
Now what happens when you do the simple act of Sitting, albeit for very long time?
Sitting causes tightening of hip flexors: what are hip flexors? these are a group of muscles which help to fold the body at the hip joint. Sitting causes these muscles to be in constant contraction – pull.
This in long term causes the shortening of he hip flexors , their tightening and inadvertantly, weakness.
This constant tightness of the hip flexors makes the body assume that the body is in stress. From the evolutionary point of you, fear of survival results in tightening of the pelvic muscles. This instinct was important for survival as this stimulated the Adrenal glands.
Adrenal Glands, are hormone producing organs situated above our kidneys. I am sure everyone has come across the term Adrenal rush. The hormones produced during Adrenal stimulation helps one overcome Fear, Fight and Flight situations.
Adrenals increase the blood sugar levels for immediate and create a situation of pseudo psychosomatic stress in the body. This results in Insulin resistance and because of which most of us cannot get rid of that bulging belly of fat which comes along with constant sitting.
Pelvic Tightening also reduces blood flow into the sexual organs. This affects the fertility and performance of both genders alike. Women tend to be frigid and men inch towards impotency.
Constant sitting also causes bladder irritation and in some may result in frequent urination.
Constant sitting and hip flexor tightening causes lower back pain. The muscles around the spine weaken and hence fail to hold the bones and discs in their proper place. This results in various displacements of the spinal discs and bones. These displaced structures press the spinal cord and the resultant pain, radiation and tingling numbness which is so commonly experienced. Some of the common complaints are Scoliosis, Lumbar/cervical spondylosis and spondylitis, shoulder aches and kyphosis.
The fear of survival leads to an emotion called Angst – which would be a combination of anguish and irritability.
The over functional adrenals release steroids in the blood and hence weaken ones immunity.
On having a deeper analysis of these postulations by the modern science one can correlate this problem to Ayurveda with the Muladhar chakra.
Muladhar chakra is situated at the base of the spine. MOOL- root of the torso.
Lets see what happens when the enrgies are blocked and dormant inside this chakra.
- Varicose veins including haemorrhoids/piles
- Depression
- Weakened Immunity
- Lack of self esteem – Judging our lives with the likes we get on social media
- Over attachment to ones beliefs
- Superstition, Failing to see the cause of problem and blaming external factors
- Confusion
- Distraction
- Disconnection
- Drug addiction – Caffeine, Tea, Chocolate, Tobacco, Alcohol, Betel Nuts, Sugar etc
- Anaemia
- Sexual problems and sub/in-fertility
- Constipation
- Chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Most importantly , spinal misalignments- Kyphosis, Scoliosis, Slip disc, Lordosis, Ankylosing spondylitis etc.
One feels lazy and observes obstructions all around him.
A muladhar chakra which is over-functional yet blocked, with not having the energies rise into the other chakras above leads to an Aggressive behavior, Self fixation/Obsession/ Narcissism, cannot sit still, Tendency to lash out and impatience.
A muladhar chakra which has balance of energies makes one Healthy and strong . It Helps one generate prosperity without attachments. It pacifies anxiety and makes one build trust, be patient, practical and organised.
Problems, trauma, sudden misfortunes are handled sagaciously and amicably.
One very common example to release strain from the mooladhar chakra is relaxing the diaphragm… or simply, deep breathing.
The solar plexus lies just at the level of diaphragm- the structure that limits the chest and abdomen.
Everybody will agree on how relaxing deep breathing can be.
Point hear is without any evident direct implications, sitting in a chair for very long hours can deeply impact health and well being.
Dealing with the problem.
1.Airconditioning: should be kept as close as the normal temperatures outside. Setting up an AC to very low temperatures can worsen the Adrenal-circulation-stress-muscle problem
2.Tummy Tuck: should always keep ones abdomen taut, held inside and never left loose to hang about. while sitting walking eating reading in the system. Tummy pulled in and trying to breathe deeply
3.Lose comfortable clothing : tight clothes will cause obstruction to the prgestion oper movement of diaphragm and breathing muscles and hence will cause the energies to lock up inside the muladhar.
4.Virasana : Yoga is , was and will be the corner stone of treatment but this particular posture is exeremely important for relaxing the hip flexors.
5.In-chair Sukhasana: time to take the shoes of and those legs up and fold them right there on your chair and continue typing, reading, talking, eating &c.
6.Maintaing perfect bowel movements: needless to say a proper digestion and evacuation of the bowels will prevent vata getting blocked in the lumbar region. In simple words, the nerves will not be irritated in the pelvic-lumbar region and hence will prevent problems.
7.Panchakarma: Expulsion of the accumulated doshas in the kati (pelvic-lumbar) region and restoration of normal flow of pure blood will help relieve the stifness and fatigue in the structures.
8.Systemic Medicines: to ward of the stress metabolites, bring back the important organs like lungs, intestine , liver kidney and reproductive organs in their optimum state of function.
9.Regular exercise: Adviced most frequently and vehemence.
10Healthy diet : A healthy balanced diet, rich in fibre, calcium, iron and micro nutrients.
11.Pranayama : under guidance can work wonders to promote healing, prevent stress and maintin hormone levels – for diabetes, thyroid, PCOD or other reproductive problems in both genders.
Dr. Zeel Gandhi, B.A.M.S
