Before the time chairs were invented and humans needed to get up and down from the ground, in the time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, I would assume that activities requiring a flat surface, sitting, and sleeping mainly happened on the ground. I’m sure cavemen and cavewomen probably had the sense to use rocks to build caves and forge other useful tools, but the invention of chairs, beds, and tables probably didn’t occur until a few thousand years later. Fortunately, the human race has evolved into a sophisticated species where we are now granted chairs, beds, and tables, allowing us to rest our bodies from a standing position with less effort than it would take to perform these actions on the ground.
Tables and desks allow people to sit, eat, and perform work from a surface about the abdomen level. The chair is a revolutionary invention that enables humans to be amazingly efficient. Featuring a surface about eighteen to twenty-four inches off the ground, chairs allow humans to rest their buttocks on a platform when needed to rest, eat at a table, or conduct intellectual work at a desk. Our predecessors from the Jurassic Park era weren’t blessed with the chair. They would have to kneel or squat down to the rocky, dirt-covered ground, utilizing far more muscles in their lower extremities and exerting more effort than the current era of humans do when sitting down on the seat of a chair.
It should go without saying that the advancements in the features allowing us to efficiently function in our activities of the bustling and innovative inventions the human race has granted us have allowed us to live longer and work more efficiently. However, our bodies can develop aversions in the form of restricted mobility and a dependency on having a chair around to sit down. Over time, the body might forget how to get to the ground because chairs have phased out the need to do so. That’s why we need to channel the lifestyles of our cave people ancestors and become more comfortable getting down to the ground.
We’re not saying to live like a caveman, build fires from flint and tinder, never wash your clothes, and run from saber-tooth tigers. Life is pretty good here in the twenty-first century. However, what happens if we find ourselves on the ground after an event such as a trip and fall? What if we have limited mobility due to the advancement of age, an arthritic joint that causes pain when bending down, or we drop an important object like our phone or car keys, and are apprehensive because of the fear of getting back up after bending down? I’m sure we can use our imagination if such events occurred to an individual with mobility issues. Getting up from the ground could be a serious and daunting event if the ability to bend down, kneel, and stand up from the ground is hindered.
A myriad of contributing factors can afflict a person’s well-being and functionality, including an increased risk of falling, decreases in lower extremity strength, and a lack of overall conditioning of the body. For example, as age advances, joints are likely to develop arthritis, making the changing of angles of joints painful due to a lack of cartilage padding at the ends of joints. Additionally, it’s not uncommon to see fitness levels decrease as time goes on in a person’s life. It’s easy to become complacent and lack concern for the degeneration of muscle tissue after retiring from a profession that requires concentrated physical activity. There is a slew of contributing factors stemming from previous injuries in critical joints that commonly occur throughout a lifetime, such as strains to the lower back, hip, and knees, which can contribute to restrictions in mobility. While the complications of advancing throughout the timeline of our lifespan occur, adopting a consistent and adherent fitness routine can stave off factors that cause pain, decrease mobility, and hinder overall human function.
Featuring ground-based exercises in a fitness program can create a sense of instinctual comfort with getting up and down from the ground. Whether it be exercises in which one lies on their back, belly, side, or all fours on knees and hands, the very act of exposing oneself to the surface of the ground and venturing away from a standing position forges a skillset of feeling confident getting up and down from the ground. Small group exercise classes, such as Yoga and Pilates, include exercises where participants kneel or lie on the ground every session. Consistently practicing exercises that feature the action of shifting the body’s position to get down on the ground provides an invaluable asset to people who are at higher risk of falling, don’t want to fall, or have a lack of confidence when it comes to picking things up from the ground.
An exercise we feature in our personal training clients’ exercise programs to develop mastery and competency in standing up from the ground includes the “standing up from kneeling position split squat.”
To perform the “standing up from a kneeling position split squat,” position your body next to a stabilizing object, such as a wall, chair, or post. Take a large step forward with one leg to assume a “lunged” position. You can use the stabilizing object to support yourself by grabbing or leaning into it. Slowly bend the trailing leg so the knee gently lands on the ground. Once your body is kneeling, push evenly through the leading foot’s heel and the trailing foot’s ball of the foot and return to a standing position. Repeat this movement for one to three repetitions on each leg.
Strength and conditioning of the skeletal muscle are critically important for the ability to perform movements that allow us to get up from the ground. Therefore, confidence, coordination, and competency in the skillset for getting up from the ground can’t be overstated. Practicing movements that enhance muscular strength and endurance for the lower extremities can also regularly enhance the body’s ability to get up and down from the ground. By ingraining a consistent exercise program that focuses on bending down to the ground, getting on the ground, and getting up off the ground, we can reinforce our body, mind, and habits to live happy, healthy, and strong lives for the long run.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
