The Hot Belly Diet by Suhas G. Kshirsagar

Author:Suhas G. Kshirsagar
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Atria Books

PART TWO

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CHAPTER 7

The Ancient Exercise to Create a Fat-Burning, Fit Body Without Strain

Exercise is one of the most powerful tools to slow down aging.

—CHARAKA

If you could go back in time to see how ancient cultures sat down, you’d notice that many sat upright on floors in the cross-legged position, kneeled, or sat with “tent knees” as do many Africans today, with their buttocks and feet on the ground, knees bent. These positions require a level of strength in the legs, glutes, and back, as well as balance and coordination. Only in relatively recent times have we employed the use of chairs and couches that have the unfortunate effect of putting the body in positions that lead to pelvic stagnation and reduced circulatory function. The way we sit today is not ideal for our body’s natural mechanics, and it’s no wonder that we are increasingly finding ourselves diagnosed with “sitting diseases” ranging from nagging lower back pain to serious conditions such as diabetes and even heart disease. The connection between sitting in a seat for most of the day and developing serious maladies isn’t that difficult to make, in fact. Think about it: Most of us spend more than eight hours a day at a desk job, at least one hour a day commuting, and several hours more either sleeping or engaged in a primarily sedentary activity such as eating, watching television, or just milling about. The science of this relationship is actually quite new, and it’s astonishing; we’ll be exploring it shortly.

So let’s do a little experiment: Without worrying about how fast you’re moving, can you sit on the floor and then rise up to a standing position using as little support as possible? Turns out that if you can get yourself up from the floor using just one hand—or even better, without the help of any hand—then you’re not only in the higher percentile of musculoskeletal fitness, but you’re much more likely to live longer than those who can’t do this exercise. In 2012 a study performed in Brazil at an exercise medicine clinic and published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (formerly called the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation) revealed that the ability to sit and get up from the floor is closely related to all-cause mortality risk (another way of saying “dying from anything”). Put simply, the better you can do this task without relying on your hands for stability and support, the longer you’ll live. The findings are hardly inconsequential. It is well known that aerobic fitness is strongly associated with survival, but this study also shows that maintaining high levels of flexibility, muscular strength, and coordination have a positive influence on life expectancy (not to mention that they make daily activities easier to do). Being able to stand up from the floor without extra support requires a strong lower body, including strong ankles, knees, and calves. It also demands that our lower body from our hips down be open and flexible. And today’s lifestyles have many of us going in the other direction—toward crippling stagnation.

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