Surprising benefits of sitting on the floor

You’ve got your comfy couch and that favorite recliner, but what about the floor?

It might not be your first pick, or mine, but did you know that simply sitting on the ground can help you live longer and stronger?

The ability to get up from the floor was a significant predictor of longevity in people ages 51-80, according to a 2014 study (1). The study found that those who had difficulty getting up from the floor were more likely to die during the researchers’ follow-up period. If you find this shocking, you’re not the only one!

Another study in 2020 found similar results and concluded that men and women of ALL ages should try to get down to and up from the floor with ease (2).

What’s so great about sitting on the floor? Turns out, a lot!

Benefits to sitting on the floor

The ability to move from standing to sitting on the floor and getting back again is a reflection of overall health and function. This is why it’s been linked to longevity.  So let’s take a look at the benefits of sitting on the ground. 

Improve balance, coordination, and mobility

It might seem simple, but your body’s doing some serious work. Balance is involved, along with coordinating body movements.

Moving into a floor-seated position requires joint mobility in your feet, ankles, knees, hips, elbows, shoulders, and wrists.  It’s like a mini workout for your balance and joint mobility.

Maintain muscle strength

Muscles must stabilize your joints as you sit down and get up. Not only that but your core and leg muscles are required. You’ll notice your leg muscles working when you get up from the floor! 

Support good posture

Most chairs don’t do us any favors. Sitting on the floor can help you sit straighter and ditch the slouch.

This might be one to work on because it can be easy to slouch sitting on the floor if your back is in a curved position throughout most of your day. 

You want to make sure you sit tall with your torso straight and shoulders not rounded. Keep reading for tips.

Keeps you grounded

Feeling overwhelmed or scatterbrained? Sitting on the floor can bring you back down to earth—literally. Even though you’re on a floor in a house, you’re still closer to the Earth than when you’re sitting in a chair. 

Try sitting on the floor 

• when you’re feeling scattered, overwhelmed, or distracted. 

• during seasonal changes (especially summer to fall and winter to spring).

• on windy days.

You might be surprised at how much more grounded you feel.

Tips to sit on the floor

You might think this all sounds fine and dandy but aren’t sure how to comfortably sit on the floor. Let me offer some tips. 

Start small

Maybe you don’t sit on the floor immediately but instead sit on a lower chair or stool. Do that for a while until you can sit down and get up with ease. 

Raise your hips

I suggest that you raise your hips up by sitting on a pillow, blanket, floor cushion, or yoga block. This does several things.

• Places your pelvis in better alignment with your spine.

• Allows you to easily sit tall and keep your shoulders over your hips.

• Allows to more easily broaden your chest (not round the shoulders).

I often sit on my cork yoga block and also have a meditation cushion I rotate in. 

Change leg positions

Try out different leg positions when sitting on the floor. Find what works best for you. You can try

• Cross-legged

• One foot in front of the other

• Legs straight out in front of you

• Bent knees with feet flat on the ground

Adding some floor time into your day isn’t about ditching your furniture—it’s about giving your body a little extra love and attention that pays off big time. Why not give it a try?

Do you like to sit on the floor? Comment below!

If you want to improve your balance, check out this article!

Sources:

1.Brito, L. B., Ricardo, D. R., Araújo, D. S., Ramos, P. S., Myers, J., & Araújo, C. G. (2014). Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality. European journal of preventive cardiology, 21(7), pages 892–898. https://doi.org/10.1177/2047487312471759

2. Claudio Gil S Araújo, Claudia Lucia B Castro, João Felipe C Franca, Denise SMS Araújo, (2020) Sitting–rising test: Sex- and age-reference scores derived from 6141 adults, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, Volume 27(8), pages 888–890, https://doi.org/10.1177/2047487319847004