Why you need to get out of your chair. Seriously. Right now.

In my office I have a very nice chair. It’s brown leather, worn in just enough to be really comfortable, and every time I sink into it I do a little internal sigh of pleasure. Ok, sometimes, even a big, audible one.

But here’s the thing. This chair that I love, I’m realizing, is kind of like ice cream. Too much of it is not a good thing.

I also realize I’m not alone in the love of my chair. We are a nation of chair-lovers. A nation of sitters.

We spend more time sitting than ever. The jobs that used to make us stand are waning. Machines are taking their place. And we’re replacing the pastimes that used to keep us running and jumping with video games, cellphones, and social media.

We sit almost everywhere. And the chair is taking a toll on our bodies.

Heart disease. A strained neck. A foggy brain. Mushy abs (goodbye six-pack!). Tight hips. An inflexible spine. According to the Washington Post, excessive sitting has been correlated with these symptoms.

So, is sitting the new smoking? That might be a little much. But after reading some headlines, you may consider throwing your office chair out the window and purchasing a tread-mill desk. Yet, for me, the sitting “epidemic” has been a call to arms. When I first read the stories, I slammed my hands on the table and cried “It’s time to take a stand…or at least, stand!” Realizing how much I sit made me want to move.

This is one of the reasons I practice a different kind of therapy. It’s called Adventure Therapy and unlike what you might imagine from the name, you don’t have to head to the wilderness to do it.

Adventure therapy is moving - literally and figuratively. When you come to a session with me, we get out of our chairs. Sometimes we play interactive games like Moonball, a cooperative form of volleyball. Other times, we problem-solve – constructing and deconstructing puzzles. Yes, sometimes it’s a little bit like an escape room. And of course, in our sessions, we will also do some talking. Honest talking. About how you feel about where you are now and where you want to go. We will even do a little sitting.

My patients don’t always leave our sessions doubling–over with laughter, skipping for joy, or electric with purpose (although they sometimes do), but they do usually leave feeling something in their body. And having made at least some forward movement in their lives.

I’m not saying we need to move all the time. Sitting isn’t always the enemy. But I do believe we all need to move a little more. Humans of every age need to get up, get of our big comfy chairs, get outside and move. Because movement not only stimulates dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure, and brings us back to our bodies…it might even help us feel more fully human and alive.

So what do you say? Are you with me? Ready to take a stand?

#therapy #adventuretherapy #sitting #movement #chair