Can you extend your life just by sitting? Here’s the scientific way to ‘sit’ better

You might have heard about the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle and even come across the odd headline explaining why ‘sitting is the new smoking.’  

But let’s be realistic. We all have to take a seat sometimes. Luckily, there is a way of sitting that has actually been linked to a longer life. According to a study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, sitting on the floor rather than a chair or elevated surface may be better for your physical health.  

A leading health expert who studies the world’s oldest living people, Dan Buettner revealed in a magazine interview that the longest-lived women in the history of the world had one thing in common and that was that they all sat on the floor. Buettner observed that the women would sit down and get up from the floor 30 to 40 times a day.

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The observation is also backed by scientific logic. Sitting on the floor forces you to work harder to get up every time. This concept is also used in the ‘sitting-rising test’ for longevity. The study found that people who performed the worst at the test were six times more likely to die earlier than those who can do it successfully. 

Sitting on the floor is a common practice in many Asian cultures, including India, and the research just proves that our ancestors were right all along.

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