Perhaps it is the lack of movement that is the issue, not what static position one chooses.
Even laying in bed without moving leads to bed sores. Normally, we move around even while sleeping.
How stiff our muscles are is more important. Stiff muscles are weaker and less flexible. They tire out very quickly. And they tend to make us sit longer because they are more difficult to move.
Being immobile for a significant part of the day makes stiffness worse. But it does not cause it.
Its actually when we don't use our full range of motion often enough that we lose that range of motion and get stiff. Sitting for long periods won't make your muscles unhealthy; not moving enough, regularly enough, is what does it.
Why is this the case? If you fully extend and flex all of your muscles frequently enough, the sheaths surrounding the muscles will stay flexible. And circulation will remain healthy.
Its when circulation is impaired that using a muscle leads to stiffness.
There is a structure called the sarcomere that does the actual physical work of contracting and extending our muscles.
The sarcomere can get stuck in its contracted position if blood flow is impaired to it. And the sarcomere pumps its own blood, so getting stuck in contracture means it can't get out of that state on its own. Only then do you start feeling it.
So, this is a problem with a non-obvious root cause that takes a very long time to manifest. Its no wonder it happens to most people eventually.
and we would too if we weren't slaves to technology.
I think the brain naturally wants to be engaging with the world, but technology is fooling it into thinking that it is, when its really being very passive. So we sit and stare, sit and stare, while our fingers get all the exercise.
Even laying in bed without moving leads to bed sores. Normally, we move around even while sleeping.
How stiff our muscles are is more important. Stiff muscles are weaker and less flexible. They tire out very quickly. And they tend to make us sit longer because they are more difficult to move.
Being immobile for a significant part of the day makes stiffness worse. But it does not cause it.
Its actually when we don't use our full range of motion often enough that we lose that range of motion and get stiff. Sitting for long periods won't make your muscles unhealthy; not moving enough, regularly enough, is what does it.
Why is this the case? If you fully extend and flex all of your muscles frequently enough, the sheaths surrounding the muscles will stay flexible. And circulation will remain healthy.
Its when circulation is impaired that using a muscle leads to stiffness.
There is a structure called the sarcomere that does the actual physical work of contracting and extending our muscles.
The sarcomere can get stuck in its contracted position if blood flow is impaired to it. And the sarcomere pumps its own blood, so getting stuck in contracture means it can't get out of that state on its own. Only then do you start feeling it.
So, this is a problem with a non-obvious root cause that takes a very long time to manifest. Its no wonder it happens to most people eventually.