The Alexander Technique is all about improving how you function in daily life by ‘using’ yourself better in activity. And the movement from sitting to standing is commonly used by Alexander Technique teachers to help guide their clients towards better use. There is a lot to take in to find ease and balance in this movement – for example, allowing length through the torso and freedom in the major joints. You can even read up on the physics behind this deceptively simple movement.

Sit-to-stand is also the perfect opportunity outside of Alexander lessons to practise the skills you’ve been developing. And yet this begs the question:

How might we be motivated to stand up from a seated position in the first place, given that so many people’s working lives involve so much sitting for extended periods?

One answer lies in the current mission of Dr Paul Batman, a leading exercise physiologist and expert on the health hazards of sedentary behaviour. Personally, I think that once you understand his core message that ‘every movement counts’, you’ll be highly motivated to rise from your chair much more frequently than perhaps you do right now.

In short, there’s a brilliant synergy to be had here. The alarming research into sedentary behaviour which Dr Batman highlights can provide a strong motivation to get up and move around regularly. Then, every time you do so, you can playfully improve your coordination in line with the principles of the Alexander Technique.

It’s a win-win.

Sitting down IS risky

Let’s be clear on the research. What is striking is that we know sitting for long periods is a serious risk factor for everyone, regardless of whether you exercise regularly. In other words, you can be both fit and unhealthy – an ‘active couch potato’ who is damaging their health despite going to the gym three or four times a week.

Dr Batman identifies 12 key consequences of prolonged sedentary behaviour. Here’s my summary of the many downsides:

  1. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is ’caused by blood clots in the veins during prolonged periods of sedentary behaviour’.
  2. Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. ‘[W]ithout muscle contractions to relocate blood sugar, most will remain in the blood until insulin is released to move it into the muscle, organs and fat cells’.
  3. Shortened telomeres. In the nuclei of cells are sections of DNA called telomeres that protect the genetic data and make it possible for cells to divide. With each cell division, the telomere shortens; when they get too short the cell can no longer divide, and this shortening is accelerated by sedentary behaviour.
  4. Reduced lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity. LPL is an enzyme responsible for converting triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol, and clearing it from the blood into the skeletal muscle. Sedentary behaviour reduces LPL activity. This leads to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome which is associated with heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
  5. Weak stabilizer muscles. Stabilizer muscles are intermediate and deep muscle layers which support posture and movement: ‘Sedentary behaviour renders them ineffective and weaker’.
  6. Cancer. A lack of physical activity is a key variable in the risk of cancer: ‘An active lifestyle and a reduction in sedentary behaviour can reduce the risk of cancer by more than 45%’.
  7. Bone density. ‘Sedentary behaviour reduces bone mineral density due to the absence of any significant overloading mechanisms’.
  8. Impaired brain function. The brains of sedentary people become less responsive to the neurochemicals for movement. ‘They have muscles that are trained to sit and not send feedback signals back to the brain to get them moving, making it difficult to motivate them to exercise.’
  9. Cell membrane damage. ‘Molecules, cells, tissues, organs and systems need to be exposed to constant intermittent tension and mechanical forces. When this stops [due to sedentary behaviour], there is a breakdown in structure leading to problems with the cell, tissue growth and development.’
  10. Sarcopenia. This is the involuntary loss in strength, function and muscle mass that comes with ageing or sedentary behaviour. ‘Sedentary behaviour causes an initial decrease in neural strength, followed by a loss in muscle mass, muscle power and mitochondrial dysfunction at any age.’
  11. Mitochondrial distress. Mitochondria are organelles found within the cells of the body. They regulate substrate utilisation (the process by which the body uses carbohydrates and fat for energy), energy production and muscle size and function. Sedentary behaviour ‘results in an accelerated decrease in mitochondrial functioning, contributing to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, muscle breakdown, oxidative stress and reduced aerobic fitness.’
  12. Inflammation. ‘Sedentary groups present with a low level of chronic tissue inflammation, contributing to cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive disease and different types of dementia’.

    https://www.fitpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Sedentary-Booklet.pdf

The solution?: ‘Sit, stand, stroll, repeat’

Dr Batman explains that ‘the root of all sedentary problems lies in the lack of daily muscle contractile activity’, and that in contrast, ‘multiple bouts of muscle contractions throughout the day provide a strong health stimulus’ (ibid.). In his words,

Muscle contractions recruit motor units and can engage many thousands of muscle fibres in a single contraction that activate mitochondria, decrease blood sugar levels, remove fat from the blood, increase blood flow to active areas, release anti-inflammatory molecules and strengthen the functioning of the innate immune system.

Ibid.

Dr Batman therefore advocates a kind of interval training: going from a seated to standing position anywhere between 30 and 50 times a day. That equates to standing up and going for a short walk at least every half an hour. He explains in a podcast,

I think the theory and the philosophy behind it is that [when] we go from a seated position to a standing position, we double the number of METs [‘Metabolic equivalents’ – a measure of how much oxygen is consumed while sitting at rest], so we’re doubly increasing the energy expenditure to start with. From sitting to standing recruits a hundred muscles or more: that’s significant. The number of neural pathways that are opened up in that simple movement is also significant, and the cellular involvement is massive. So we never underestimate the fact that we move from a seated to a standing position – it’s a transitional movement that our body is designed to do. …

I think that a lot of chronic diseases can be related back to two things: […]  one is a little enzyme called an LPL enzyme, and its job is to vacuum the fat out of the blood, and the other one is the mitochondria […] and mitochondria goes into distress. So, if we were to sit for 30 minutes […], the bad news is that my LPL enzyme will probably go to sleep after 20 minutes, and then I will probably have a greater proportion of free fatty acids within my vascular system because of not moving. Now, I can go to the gym after this, and that LPL enzyme will still be dormant. I have to get up and move around and do those multiple contractions throughout the day in order for that to make a significant change.

And this is what I think we have to realise: […] that there are problems specific to sedentary behaviour that cannot be attenuated by the gym, and the fact is our lifestyle has changed so much that our body is now maladapting to this new environment.

https://www.andrewmay.com/podcasts/68-the-science-of-chronic-cardio-too-much-floppy-dorsal-fin-syndrome-too-little-and-minimum-effective-dose-just-right-dr-paul-batman/ (from 28:19)

Going further

This blog post has focused on the synergistic boost to wellbeing created when an Alexandrian ‘sit-to-stand’ is combined with doing so regularly throughout the day. This ‘double benefit’ can form a strong motivation to combine the Alexandrian mindset with this specific activity for positive overall health outcomes.

However, improved quality and frequency of ‘sit-to-stand’ should not be seen in isolation. It is part of a wider lifestyle challenge identified by Dr Batman to incorporate more movement at every opportunity during the day. In this regard, all light-to-moderate intensity activities can be viewed as healthful: for example, domestic chores, home maintenance, gardening and active travel.

What is more, we can also learn to employ the Alexander Technique in all such activities to enhance our wellbeing still further.

Finally, if you’re interested in exploring this topic, I recommend reading why Dr Batman admits to enjoying doing the housework. It’s a funny take on what is an incredibly important message.