Sitting in this way can benefit your whole body, say experts

If you thought sitting on your butt was bad for you — what these experts have to say may leave you feeling floored.

One seated position in particular can benefit your body in multiple ways, experts told The Huffington Post.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground can help your mobility and flexibility and can even work your abdominal muscles, the experts explained.

Benefits of mobility and flexibility 

“I really think from a health benefits or a musculoskeletal condition standpoint, that [cross-legged sitting] posture really does help us with … hip, low back and knee range of motion,”  Dr. Christopher Bise, an assistant professor in the department of physical therapy at the University of Pittsburgh explained.

Sitting on the floor also keeps your hamstrings looser, unlike sitting in a chair which can make the hamstrings tight, Dr. Jennifer O’Connell, a physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York said. 

Experts noted that older people can also benefit from sitting on the floor because if they can successfully sit and rise from a seated position, they are less likely to fall and more likely to be able to get themselves back up after they do fall should an accident happen.

However, the experts said that the cross-legged position doesn’t need to be on the ground to help the sitter increase their flexibility.

“Remember that these positions don’t necessarily have to be on the floor. You can, on a couch, get into the cross-legged sitting position, or you can use different sitting positions on the couch that will also increase your range of motion, as well,” Bise said. 

Strengthen your core

Sitting on the ground can benefit your abdominal muscles because you need to use your core when you don’t have anything to support your back. Standing up from a seated position on the floor activates your muscles even more. 

“And then just the mere act of getting up from that position is beneficial for your whole body. You’re exercising your hips, your knees, your entire lower chain and your core in order to get up,” O’Connell said. 

It’s helpful — with limits 

Sitting on the floor all day won’t improve your health. 

“There’s a reason that your Apple Watch reminds you every 60 minutes to get up and start moving again … some of it is postural, some of it is just simple motion and getting calories going, but some of it is also changing postures as well,” Bise said. 

Additionally, sitting on the floor also isn’t for everyone, especially those who have joint issues or are recovering from certain surgeries. 

“Just like with anything … check with your doctor before you start any type of exercise regimen,” O’Connell said. “But you can consult with a physical therapist, and they can give you strategies for getting up and down off the floor.”