Squatting posture is beneficial for health?

American scientists studying African hunter-gatherers have come to the conclusion that squatting or kneeling is more beneficial to health than sitting on a chair or sofa.

The sedentary lifestyle, typical of modern humans, is associated with many health risks due to low muscle activity and a slowed down metabolism. From an evolutionary perspective, this is quite strange, because, in theory, adaptive methods to save energy must bring certain advantages to mankind.

To understand how humans created relaxation and energy savings before the invention of chairs, American scientists from the University of Southern California tracked the activity of hunter-gatherers from the Hadza tribe in Tanzania, they have the same lifestyle as people have lived in the past.

Kneeling and squatting positions are not as harmful as sitting on a chair.

'We tend to think that human physiology is adapted to the conditions that we have been developing. If sedentary activity is harmful, then the evolutionary history of humankind will not give us much time for this, " the university press release quoted Professor David Reichen as saying. Biological Sciences, the first author of scientific articles.

During the study, the scientists asked Hadza people in Tanzania to wear activity tracking devices. Some Hadza members agreed to wear the device for a week. The software is then used to track their activity for a period of 15 seconds. The big surprise of the study - typical Hadza adults spent nearly 10 hours waking up without any detectable motion. Hadza is usually very active, easily exceeding US recommendations on physical activity 22 minutes a day. In other words, our ancestors lived in harmony with nature, as scientists say, there are high levels of inactivity.

It is rare to see any Hadza sitting on a log or a rock as if it were a chair; instead, about half of their time is spent sitting on flat ground. But they also spend time in positions that are rarely seen in industrial societies: kneeling and squatting . These two postures occupy about 9-10 hours per day during the tranquility of Hadza.

'Although the Hadza do not have any movement for a long time, one of the main differences we notice is that the Hadza often rest in positions that require muscles to maintain a slight level of activity - kneeling and squatting positions, ' said Professor Reichlen.

In addition to monitoring active and inactive stages, researchers used specialized equipment to measure leg muscle activity in a variety of positions. Squatting involves greater muscle activity than sitting on a chair.

Scientists have predicted that light muscle activity requires fuel, which means burning fat, so kneeling and squatting are not as harmful as sitting in a chair . At the very least, Hadza people rarely suffer from heart diseases and metabolic disorders, which are characteristic of modern people in developed countries, spending 10-12 hours a day in the office, on the couch at home and on the chair. car.

The authors do not urge residents of large cities to squat or kneel during relaxation or at work, but, sometimes need to stand up and crouch, choose more positive poses, which It can be a useful practice that helps reduce health risks associated with sedentary lifestyles.

'Instead of sitting in a chair when your muscles aren't working, you should choose other postures, so in the future people can explore this behavior pattern. Squatting is not the only alternative, but, more time should be given to postures that require low-level muscle activity, which is good for our health , "the expert said.

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