I recently got back from a great yoga holiday in Spain. Highly recommended and if you’re interested check out their website at www.yogabreaks.org.uk. Nothing too taxing, two sessions of yoga a day, lovely place, nice group of people and plenty of down time. What could be wrong with that? Nothing really, apart from having to cope with the joys of air travel to get there and back. Who exactly did they have in mind when they designed airplane seats? I’m not talking your top of the range business class comfy seats, I mean your standard Easy Jet seats which most of us use.

Where did they find a human that could sit comfortably in one of those seats? From what I can gather you have two choices. Option one is to sit nice and upright with your low back pressing comfortably into the back of the seat so that the lumbar support fits in to the curve of your low back. Of course that means your head will be left unsupported by the head rest. So you also have the option of sliding down the seat so that your head and neck get to rest on the head rest . . .but then your low back is left unsupported and your knees are jammed against the seat in front. The choice is yours;achy low back or stiff neck and maybe bruised knees, or probably a combination of all of them.

In my 23 years of osteopathic practice I’m not sure I’ve come across anyone that would perfectly fit an Easy Jet or Ryan Air seat. I do however see lots and lots of people who’s problems are either associated with or aggravated by sitting on seats of some description. Office seats, whether or not they’re ergonomically fitted, ‘comfy’ sofas, car seats and of course seats on planes, all create business for osteopaths (and not forgetting physiotherapists and chiropractors).

Essentially the human body was not designed to sit on seats, especially for the length of time most of us spend sitting. We are better designed for squatting rather than sitting. Now, here’s a great health promoting challenge for you. Spend a few minutes each day squatting. Feet should be flat on the floor if you can, and if not work towards achieving it. It’s a great position to mobilise the hips, lengthen the low back, stretch the Achilles, and work all those core muscles. It’s great for the bowels too. Who’s bright idea was it to design a toilet to sit on in the first place? Some things are best done squatting . . but that’s another story.

Yep, that’s me doing yoga on a surf board thingy

Give us a call after your next Easy Jet flight and we’ll sort out your back and neck issues and in the meantime happy squatting.